John Matthews has been captivated by Dietrich Bonhoeffer for thirty years, long before the film brought this modern Christian martyr back into the public eye. This book will take you into Bonhoeffer’s struggle of terror and faith in his Letters and Papers from Prison. Guided by Matthews’s keen mind and pastoral courage, you will be led past the crumbling pillars of worn religiosity to the hidden disciplines through which Christians live in difficult times. – David L. Tiede, Luther Theological SEMInary

A wide-ranging survey of the history of the Roman Empire-from its establishment to decline and beyond
Empire of the Romans, from Julius Caesar to Justinian provides a sweeping historical survey of the Roman empire. Uncommonly expansive in its chronological scope, this unique two-volume text explores the time period encompassing Julius Caesar’s death in 44 BCE to the end of Justinian’s reign six centuries later. Internationally-recognized author and scholar of Roman history John Matthews balances broad historical narrative with discussions of important occurrences in their thematic contexts. This integrative approach helps listeners learn the timeline of events, understand their significance, and consider their historical sources.
Defining the time period in a clear, yet not overly restrictive manner, the narrative reflects contemporary trends in the study of social, cultural, and literary themes. Chapters examine key points in the development of the Roman Empire, including the establishment of empire under Augustus, Pax Romana and the Antonine Age, the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine, and the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Discussions of the Justinianic Age, the emergence of Byzantium, and the post-Roman West help listeners understand the later Roman world and its impact on the subsequent history of Europe.

Foreword by Neil Gaiman

The world’s leading Arthurian authority reimagines one of the most beloved and influential legends–the story of King Arthur and his Knights–for a new century.

The stories of King Arthur and Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan and the rest of the Knights of the Roundtable, and the search for the Holy Grail have been beloved for centuries and are the inspiration of many modern fantasy novels, films, and shows. These legends began when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur stepped on to the stage of history sometime in the sixth century, generating a host of oral tales that would be inscribed some 900 years later by Thomas Malory in his classic Morte D’Arthur (The Death of Arthur).

The Great Book of King Arthur brings these legends into the modern age, using accessible prose for contemporary readers for the first time. In addition to the stories in Morte D’Arthur, John Matthews includes many tales of Arthur and his knights either unknown to Malory or written in other languages, such as the story of Avenable, the girl brought up as a boy who becomes a famous knight; Morien, whose adventures are as fantastic and exciting as any found in Malory’s work; and a retelling of the life of Round Table favorite Gawain, from his strange birth to his upbringing among the poor to his ascension to the highest position–Emperor of Rome.

In addition, there are some of the earliest tales of Arthur, deriving from the tradition of Celtic storytelling. The epic hero is represented in such powerful stories as “The Adventures of Eagle-boy” and “The Coming of Merlin,” which is based on the early medieval text Vita Merlini and tells a completely new version of the great enchanter’s story.