War in the Middle Ages

There are three different versions of Charles Oman’s THE ART OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE AGES. The first is the 134-page essay which was published by Oxford University in 1885. The second is the expansion of that essay into a complete volume of 668 pages that was published by Methuen Press in 1898. And the third is the two-volume set, also published by Methuen in 1924 before being republished by Greenhill in 1991.

It is the single-volume edition that we will be publishing in a beautiful leatherbound edition for Castalia History Book 10. For more details, visit the Castalia Library substack.

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Cathedra Book 2

We’ve got books for all three subscription series to announce, so we’ll start with announcing Castalia Cathedra Book 2, which is PRAYER AND THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE by St. Thomas Aquinas. Translated by Hugh Pope.

For more information, an example of the interior layout, and an excerpt from the Introduction, visit the Castalia Library stack. Tomorrow, we’ll announce the next History book, and Wednesday, the next Library book.

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Last Day for Cathedra

\This is just a note to remind those who are interested in the Castalia Cathedra subscription that this is the final day to subscribe and get a copy of Book #1: THE EVERLASTING MAN by GK Chesterton.

Book #2 in the subscription will be announced tomorrow. I’m also pleased to be able to say that the initial print run will be in the 400 to 500 range, although we cannot calculate a precise number until the initial six-month period comes to an end. I can also say that we will be making use of the higher-quality pigskin leather for the Cathedra line.

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Yes, I Do Read Screencaps

Given the sad loss of great sports-related weekly columnists from the recent past, like Peter King, Dr. Z, and even Bill Simmons, who, though still alive and well, is more a media mogul than a writer now, the best column currently running is Screencaps on Outkick, which is amusingly eclectic and keeps regular tabs on everything from bikinis to books. I responded to Joe’s recent call for library pictures, which will look familiar to most Darkstream viewers, and he featured it along with one of Castalia Library’s upcoming books.

You just never know who’s reading Screencaps

— Vox writes: 

If it doesn’t have leather books, is it even a proper library?

The non-leather books include complete sets of The Cambridge Medieval History series, 1911 edition, and The Cambridge Ancient History series 1928 edition. There is also a set of the original Dispatches and Letters of Lord Nelson, published in 1845, and one of the 300 original copies of The Bibliography of Military Books up to 1612 published in 1900.

I run one of the world’s only leather book binderies, so we buy a lot of rare books in order to make perfect high-end reproductions of them, like the first edition of Pride and Prejudice and the first complete English
translation of The Tale of Genji. We do high-end books in cowhide and pigskin, and even higher-end ones in goatskin with real gold. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll send you one. I’ve also included a
picture of the book we’re currently binding, part of a two-volume set for Cambridge University Press.

Speaking of the bindery, we hope to have some excellent news for everyone very soon, although unfortunately, it appears that we have become even more exclusive than we were last week when that note was sent, as the world’s number of leather book binderies just shrank by one with the closure of Maltby’s Bookbinders and the Green Street Bindery, an Oxford-based bindery originally established in 1834.

Tomorrow we’ll be announcing the new books for Library, History, and Cathedra. It also appears as many as FIVE books will be bound this month, but we’ll provide more details on that when I have confirmation.

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Hiromi Kawakami Book List

Relatively unknown in the West, Hiromi Kawakami is one of Japan’s best and most acclaimed contemporary authors. She has won all of the major Japanese literary prizes, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Yomiuri Prize, and the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. She is known for her delicate exploration of human relationships and the subtle magic that permeates everyday life, occasionally delving into what can only be described as deep science fiction. Somewhat reminiscent of Haruki Murakami, though far more deeply rooted in Japanese culture, Kawakami writes stories that feel both deeply personal and mysteriously otherworldly. Her work often focuses on the connections between people—romantic, familial, and neighborly—rendered with a gentle touch that reveals profound truths about loneliness, love, and belonging.

While three of her books are yet to be translated into English, I have read nine of the ten that are available, and this is how I would list them in order of personal preference and general literary quality.

This is one of my rare contributions to Fandom Pulse. You can read it there. Note that it does not include the three novels not yet translated into English, or the tenth book, Manazuru, which I am reading now.

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Retro Bindery Backers

As we’re rapidly approaching full operational status for the Death Star bindery, we’re going to need to figure out the print runs for THE ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY. So, sometime next month, we’re giving everyone the chance to back the bindery at the same price as the original backers who have made the whole thing possible.

We’ve set up a poll at the Castalia Library stack, so please feel free to let us know if a) you’re already a backer, b) you’re interested in becoming one, or c) not so much. You can also check out the first draft of the title page as well as what the interiors are going to look like.

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Based Quantum Wardogs

The Based Book Summer Sale.

It’s time to take a break from your daily routine and especially from corporate culture and get some great based books from both established and emerging talent for only $0.99 – many titles free – but only for one week!

With about 300 based books on the shelf to browse including over a hundred new to the trove, there’s something for for every seeker of truth and tale. So unpouch your scrystone, or a “computer,” if your arcane aptitude is still in its infancy, settle into your favorite scrying chair, and begin the scroll.

Castalia House is participating in the Based Book Sale with a 4-pack SF set in the Quantum Mortis universe, which for $3.99 includes:

  • Quantum Mortis: A Man Disrupted
  • Wardogs Inc. Battlesuit Bastards
  • Wardogs Inc. Hunter Killer
  • Wardogs Inc. Metal Monsters

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Last Call

The next Based Book Sale starts Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 12:00 AM PDT and ends Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 12:00 AM PDT. Participating authors need to sign up by the end of the day Monday June 16. Follow the instructions, and comment on this post.

The link is there. If you want in, be sure to let the Based folks know. I’ve included a little SF bundle this time myself.

On an unrelated note, don’t miss the Monday Stream on UATV with the Big Bear and me.


The Book People Speak

The poll has closed. A respectable 190 Castalians had their say and the results were remarkably close.

  • 29% Aristotle – Rhetoric
  • 26% The Cambridge Medieval History Vol. 2
  • 26% Machiavelli – Discourses on Livy
  • 09% Hemingway – A Farewell to Arms
  • 09% Waugh – Decline and Fall

Tomorrow, therefore, we shall begin with the serialization of RHETORIC by Aristotle, utilizing the Library edition which begins with an Introduction by none other than your favorite dark lord. If you want to take part in the group reading and the discussion in the comments, be sure to subscribe to the Castalia Library substack.

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The Next Serial

Now that the Castalia Library substack subscribers have completed The Christian Empire in just under one year, it’s time to decide what the next serial will be. I’ve provided a list of five possibilities, and I’ll leave it to the Library community to decide which of the five will be serialized next.

Of course, if you want to be able to take advantage of it most easily, you should consider subscribing to the substack. It’s free, and you’ll be kept up to date on all Library-related matters as well as have the chance to read through the selected book with the rest of us.

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