The author, an Orthodox Rabbi, states that "the Medieval Era is, in Jewish terms, the story of rabbis, scholars, books and calamities." For antisemitism see especially Section V (p. 140-223), "Instability and Disaster, 1100-1600," which focuses on the Crusades, the Black Death, and the persecution of the Jews in Spain, culminating in the expulsion. See also pp. 257-261, "The Reformation, " including antisemitism in Luther's writings and in the early Protestant Church; and pp. 297-298, "Persecution by the Church, " on antisemitism in Poland in the 16th-17th centuries.

This fascinating study sheds new light on antebellum America's notorious "filibusters--the freebooters and adventurers who organized or participated in armed invasions of nations with whom the United States was formally at peace. Offering the first full-scale analysis of the filibustering movement, Robert May relates the often-tragic stories of illegal expeditions into Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and other Latin American countries and details surprising numbers of aborted plots, as well. May investigates why thousands of men joined filibustering expeditions, how they were financed, and why the U.S. government had little success in curtailing them. Surveying antebellum popular media, he shows how the filibustering phenomenon infiltrated the American psyche in newspapers, theater, music, advertising, and literature. Condemned abroad as pirates, frequently in language strikingly similar to modern American denunciations of foreign terrorists, the filibusters were often celebrated at home as heroes who epitomized the spirit of Manifest Destiny. May concludes by exploring the national consequences of filibustering, arguing that the practice inflicted lasting damage on U.S. relations with foreign countries and contributed to the North-South division over slavery that culminated in the Civil War.

' . . . a comprehensive, balanced and perceptive account' --Michael Grimshaw, NZ Listener 'This account by Massey University history professor Peter Lineham is fascinating, detailed and more nuanced than the media coverage Tamaki attracted. Lineham puts the ambitious church in context, nationally and internationally.' --Philip Matthews, Weekend Press While Destiny Church began in 1998, it rose to notoriety in 2004 with its 'Enough is Enough' march against what it deemed society's declining moral standards. Destiny and its leader Brian Tamaki have since become a significant - if controversial - presence in New Zealand's religious, political and Maori worlds. But what is Destiny? What does it stand for? Who are its followers? Destiny, written by respected commentator Peter Lineham, is the first full and independent account of the church and its personnel. With unprecedented access to its inner workings, including interviews with Bishop Brian Tamaki and other pastors, Lineham reveals the truth about the man and the movement, addressing the public's questions and fears, and delivering a fascinating picture of the organisation on the eve of launching its 'City of God'.