The opening month of the Great War ending in the Battle of the Marne (6-9 September 1914) was a turning point in modern history. The French and British armies were forced into a long retreat from Belgium but subsequently regrouped to mount a successful counter-attack. However, the miracle of the Marne, as it was later called, ended in the stalemate of the trenches. The failure of the Imperial German Army to achieve a decisive victory led to thirty years of hostility, warfare and destruction, which cost millions of lives. During the retreat to the Marne over a million soldiers marched 20 miles a day carrying 60-lb packs in temperatures above 30 degrees. They were often short of food and only managed short snatches of rest. They fought a series of engagements over two weeks which ended in a battle from the plains of Lorraine to the gates of Paris. This march tested them to the limits of endurance and beyond. In this book Terry Cudbird recreates the experience of the infantry during their gruelling journey. He describes his own August walk from southern Belgium to the battlefield, which followed the exact route taken by a French Lieutenant in the Fifth Army. He draws on a wide range of personal reminiscences, not only French but also British and German. He takes us back to the landscapes of Northern France in 1914 and explains how they have changed since that August one hundred years ago. He also reflects on the soldiers' origins and training, and their morale as they set out. This is not another military history but a unique evocation of the powers of endurance of ordinary soldiers. It will appeal to those interested in the history of the Great War, including readers who want to explore the route of the retreat for themselves.

Jennifer Howd had been building a mindfulness practice for a few years before taking on the challenge of her first nine-day silent meditation retreat. In this debut memoir, she chronicles the humorous--and often harrowing--adventures of the dueling inner voices that emerge in the silence: one intent on focusing on the seemingly negative aspects of her experiences, and the other on helping her see the positivity that can come from them. Illuminating for those who are new to mindfulness and resonant for those with established practices, Sit, Walk, Don’t Talk: How I Survived a Silent Meditation Retreat also includes a helpful appendix listing tips for preparing for a silent meditation retreat, including a section for undertaking a retreat on your own. Sit, Walk, Don't Talk is written from a secular perspective and will appeal to folks who've never attended a residential retreat but are curious about the experience and want to get a taste of what to expect before possibly taking the plunge. Practitioners who dream of going on retreat but cannot make the time will also get a lot out of Howd's story, as well as folks who've been on many retreats and want to recapture the feeling without leaving home.

Adam Zamoyski’s bestselling account of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and his catastrophic retreat from Moscow, events that had a profound effect on European history.

From the day Paul Mariani arrives at Eastern Point Retreat House to take part in the five-hundred-year-old Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, he realizes that his expectations and assumptions about who he is, what he knows, and what he believes are about to change radically. In this profound memoir Mariani blends a brief life of St. Ignatius and meditations on the life of Jesus with the day-to-day unfolding of thirty days of silence at the retreat house. His journey of introspection, self-revelation, and spiritual renewal leads him to a new understanding of his relationship with God and of what it truly means to put others before oneself.

The spiritual journey continues for Hannah, Meg, Mara and Charissa, the characters we met in the bestselling book Sensible Shoes. Sometimes life feels like two steps forward and one step back. Find your own spiritual journey reflected in the lives of these women and discover the way forward.

What if you could experience a personal retreat in the truest sense of the word personal: on your own time, in your own way, in a location of your choosing? With Retreat in the Real World by Andy Alexander, SJ, and Maureen McCann Waldron, a personal Ignatian retreat is literally no farther away than your fingertips. This 34-week retreat can be started at any point in the calendar year, can be done anywhere, and can be experienced on your own or in conjunction with others. Each of the weeks includes background information, a simple reflection, prayer helps, and Scripture readings, along with beautiful photography by Don Doll, SJ. This highly popular personal retreat was originally offered online through Creighton University's Online Ministries.