{"title":"David C Downing","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the gripping historical fiction of David C. Downing, blending espionage and suspense against the backdrop of World War II. Perfect for fans of Alan Furst and Philip Kerr. Browse the John Russell series now!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"into-the-wardrobe-book-david-c-downing-9780787978907","title":"Into the Wardrobe","description":"Published in the early 1950s, C. S. Lewis's seven Chronicles of Narnia were proclaimed instant children's classics and have been hailed in The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature as \"the most sustained achievement in fantasy for children by a 20th-century author.\" But how could Lewis (a formidable critic, scholar, and Christian apologist)conjure up the kind of adventures in which generations of children (and adults) take such delight? In this engaging and insightful book, C. S. Lewis expert David C. Downing invites readers to join his vivid exploration of the Chronicles of Narnia, offering a detailed look at the enchanting stories themselves and also focusing on the extraordinary intellect and imagination of the man behind the Wardrobe.  Downing presents each Narnia book as its own little wardrobe - each tale an opportunity to discover a visionary world of bustling vitality, sparkling beauty, and spiritual clarity. And Downing's examination of C. S. Lewis's personal life shows how the content of these classic children's books reflects Lewis's love of wonder and story, his affection for animals and homespun things, his shrewd observations about human nature, along with his vast reading, robust humor, theological speculations, medieval scholarship, and arcane linguistic jokes. A fun glossary of odd and invented words will allow readers to speak with Narnian flair, regaling friends and family with unusual words like cantrips, poltoonery, hastilude, and skirling. A masterful work that will appeal to both new and seasoned fans of Narnia, Into the Wardrobe offers a journey beyond Narnia's deceptively simple surface and into its richly textured and unexpected depths.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49541921112337,"sku":"GOR002300917","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49729010139409,"sku":"NGR9780787978907","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49777392222481,"sku":"CIN0787978906G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50780218523921,"sku":"GOR004064909","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51007086395665,"sku":"NIN9780787978907","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":51424105988369,"sku":"CIN0787978906A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52476520988945,"sku":"NLS9780787978907","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52853644624145,"sku":"GOR010220447","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53403442151697,"sku":"CIN0787978906VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0787978906.jpg?v=1756290312"},{"product_id":"looking-for-the-king-book-david-c-downing-9781586175146","title":"Looking for the King","description":"It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest.Aided by the Inklings-that illustrious circle of scholars and writers made famous by its two most prolific members, C.?S. Lewis and J.?R.?R. Tolkien-Tom and Laura begin to suspect that the fabled Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced the side of Christ on the cross, is hidden somewhere in England.Tom discovers that Laura has been having mysterious dreams, which seem to be related to the subject of his research, and, though doubtful of her visions, he hires her as an assistant. Heeding the insights and advice of the Inklings, while becoming aware of being shadowed by powerful and secretive foes who would claim the spear as their own, Tom and Laura end up on a thrilling treasure hunt that crisscrosses the English countryside and leads beyond a search for the elusive relics of Camelot into the depths of the human heart and soul.Weaving his fast-paced narrative with conversation based on the works of the Inklings, author David Downing offers a vivid portrait of Oxford and draws a welcome glimpse into the personalities and ideas of Lewis and Tolkien, while never losing sight of his action-packed adventure story and its two very appealing main characters.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49615591506193,"sku":"GOR009813243","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49916197011729,"sku":"CIN1586175149G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50523877933329,"sku":"CIN1586175149VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1586175149.jpg?v=1751246005"},{"product_id":"looking-for-the-king-book-david-c-downing-9781640603493","title":"Looking For the King","description":"It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest.Aided by the Inklings-that illustrious circle of scholars and writers made famous by its two most prolific members, C.?S. Lewis and J.?R.?R. Tolkien-Tom and Laura begin to suspect that the fabled Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced the side of Christ on the cross, is hidden somewhere in England.Tom discovers that Laura has been having mysterious dreams, which seem to be related to the subject of his research, and, though doubtful of her visions, he hires her as an assistant. Heeding the insights and advice of the Inklings, while becoming aware of being shadowed by powerful and secretive foes who would claim the spear as their own, Tom and Laura end up on a thrilling treasure hunt that crisscrosses the English countryside and leads beyond a search for the elusive relics of Camelot into the depths of the human heart and soul.Weaving his fast-paced narrative with conversation based on the works of the Inklings, author David Downing offers a vivid portrait of Oxford and draws a welcome glimpse into the personalities and ideas of Lewis and Tolkien, while never losing sight of his action-packed adventure story and its two very appealing main characters.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49654898491665,"sku":"GOR012536845","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50989136937233,"sku":"NIN9781640603493","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52681634939153,"sku":"NLS9781640603493","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52877723468049,"sku":"CIN1640603492G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1640603492.jpg?v=1750992699"},{"product_id":"what-you-know-might-not-be-so-220-misinterpretations-of-bible-texts-explained-book-david-downing-9780801029752","title":"What you know might not be so: 220 misinterpretations of Bible texts explained","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49855413813521,"sku":"GOR011221331","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50362591510801,"sku":"CIN0801029759G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0801029759.jpg?v=1750849989"},{"product_id":"into-the-region-of-awe-book-david-downing-9780830832842","title":"Into the Region of Awe","description":"\u003cp\u003eC. S. Lewis is generally thought of as a commonsense Christian, one who offers theology that is understandable and morality that is practical. And yet, when writing about Narnia to a class of fifth graders who asked if it were possible to visit Aslan's country, Lewis replied that the only way he knew of was through death but then added this curious qualifier: \"Perhaps some very good people get just a tiny glimpse before then.\" This simple sentence suggests a side of Lewis that most commentators have overlooked.If one takes another look at Lewis, one can find a sense of the mystical all through his writings, from his memoir \u003ci\u003eSurprised by Joy\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003ePerelandra,\u003c\/i\u003e from his nonfiction essays to his Narnia stories. In this book David C. Downing explores the breadth of Lewis's writing, introducing us to Christian mysticism as Lewis knew it and to the contemplative writers who most influenced him.Though he showed a lifelong interest in mysticism, Lewis was not an uncritical admirer. As Downing highlights, Lewis had areas of concern and points of departure with some mystical thought. Lewis's comments about misguided forms mysticism are especially pertinent in our own era of faddish or eclectic religious thought. Exploring Lewis's sense of the mystical can help us safeguard ourselves from false mysticisms even as it opens the way to a deep and full experience of God's very presence with us. In the end we too may find ourselves drawn--as Lewis put it--\"into the region of awe.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49972815986961,"sku":"CIN083083284XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50300725428497,"sku":"CIN083083284XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51008604602641,"sku":"NIN9780830832842","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/083083284X.jpg?v=1778752531"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9781844741021","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"A spiritual biography of C S Lewis, this work shows his path from unbelief to faith.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50127265661201,"sku":"GOR007320010","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1844741028.jpg?v=1750833089"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9780851119847","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"His books have sold millions, including classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Yet C S Lewis was not always a literary giant of Christian faith. How did he go from a staunch atheist to one of the most beloved and renowned Christian authors of our time? Many biographies of Lewis explore his childhood or his dramatic conversion to Christianity. But as David Downing reveals in this fascinating book, the rarely discussed period from Lewis's childhood to his early thirties took him on a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration before he became the 'most reluctant convert'. It was not despite this journey but precisely because of it that Lewis understood the search for life's ultimate meaning so well and went on to become one of the most compelling authors of the twentieth century. For C S Lewis enthusiasts and students alike, this book offers a unique look at Lewis's personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer and eventual follower of Christ.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50327267705105,"sku":"GOR006846535","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0851119840.jpg?v=1751077076"},{"product_id":"south-divided-book-david-c-downing-9781581825879","title":"A South Divided","description":"A South Divided is an account of Southern dissidents in the Civil War, at times labeled as traitors, Tories, deserters, or mossbacks during the war and loyalists, Lincoln loyalists, and Unionists by historians of the war.  In recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in Southern dissenters among specific groups or communities. But A South Divided presents a panoramic overview of Southern dissent. What emerges is a complex pattern of dissent involving every state of the Confederacy and every year of the war. All of these people and groups had their part to play in the epic drama that sapped the strength of the Confederacy from within. They were rebels against the rebellion.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50414180532497,"sku":"CIN1581825870VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51038464442641,"sku":"NIN9781581825879","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51323559739665,"sku":"CIN1581825870G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52538028523793,"sku":"NLS9781581825879","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1581825870.jpg?v=1751276499"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9780830823116","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"His books have sold millions, including classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yet C. S. Lewis was not always a literary giant of Christian faith. How did he evolve from staunch atheism to become one of the most beloved and renowned Christian authors of our time? Unlike most biographies of Lewis, which tend to focus on his childhood and dramatic conversion to Christianity, this book discusses the largely overlooked period of his life between his childhood and his early thirties, during which he experienced a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration that ultimately led to his conversion. Professor David C. Downing, author of the critically acclaimed Planets in Peril (a study of Lewis' Ransom trilogy), weaves the people, places, and events of Lewis' life together with excerpts from Lewis' own writing to show how Lewis' spiritual quest can also light the path for other seekers. For C. S. Lewis enthusiasts and students alike, this book offers a unique look at Lewis' personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50417638015249,"sku":"CIN0830823115G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50929738055953,"sku":"GOR008680107","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50955427119377,"sku":"CIN0830823115VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0830823115.jpg?v=1750980268"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9780830832712","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"His books have sold millions, including classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Yet C. S. Lewis was not always a literary giant of Christian faith. How did he evolve from staunch atheism to become one of the most beloved and renowned Christian authors of our time? Unlike most biographies of Lewis, which tend to focus on his childhood and dramatic conversion to Christianity, this book discusses the largely overlooked period of his life between his childhood and his early thirties, during which he experienced a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration that ultimately led to his conversion. Professor David C. Downing, author of the critically acclaimed Planets in Peril (a study of Lewis' Ransom trilogy), weaves the people, places, and events of Lewis' life together with excerpts from Lewis' own writing to show how Lewis' spiritual quest can also light the path for other seekers. For C. S. Lewis enthusiasts and students alike, this book offers a unique look at Lewis' personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50484362969361,"sku":"CIN0830832718G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50604909625617,"sku":"CIN0830832718VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0830832718.jpg?v=1751170801"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9781666718935","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"In his teens, a young man wrote, I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them. After serving in the trenches of WW1, the same young man said, I never sank so low as to pray. To a religious friend, he wrote impatiently, You can't start with God. I don't accept God  This young man was C. S. Lewis, the foul-mouthed atheist who would become one of the most eloquent Christian writers of the twentieth century. David C. Downing offers a unique look at Lewis's personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer and eventual follower of Christ. This is the first book to focus on the period from Lewis's childhood to his early thirties, a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration. It was not despite this journey but precisely because of it that Lewis understood the search for life's meaning so well.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50989323288849,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50989327384849,"sku":"NIN9781666718935","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52475017920785,"sku":"NLS9781666718935","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1666718939.jpg?v=1750928616"},{"product_id":"most-reluctant-convert-book-david-c-downing-9781666718942","title":"The Most Reluctant Convert","description":"In his teens, a young man wrote, I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them. After serving in the trenches of WW1, the same young man said, I never sank so low as to pray. To a religious friend, he wrote impatiently, You can't start with God. I don't accept God  This young man was C. S. Lewis, the foul-mouthed atheist who would become one of the most eloquent Christian writers of the twentieth century. David C. Downing offers a unique look at Lewis's personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer and eventual follower of Christ. This is the first book to focus on the period from Lewis's childhood to his early thirties, a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration. It was not despite this journey but precisely because of it that Lewis understood the search for life's meaning so well.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50989323452689,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50989326434577,"sku":"NIN9781666718942","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52475033223441,"sku":"NLS9781666718942","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1666718947.jpg?v=1751120925"},{"product_id":"planets-in-peril-book-david-c-downing-9780870239977","title":"Planets in Peril","description":"A critical study of C.S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy which analyses Lewis's methods and meanings, concentrating on this trilogy but also including relevant secondary work. Lewis's literary scholarship and display of Christian values are incorporated into this discussion.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51734216966417,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51734217130257,"sku":"CIN087023997XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/087023997X.jpg?v=1763482416"},{"product_id":"into-the-wardrobe-book-david-c-downing-9780470248393","title":"Into the Wardrobe","description":"Into the Wardrobe reveals the surprising depth of this richly entertaining fantasy series by offering an insightful and detailed look at the stories themselves, with special attention to the author's own life experiences and psychology, theology, love of medievalism, literary craft, and the books that most shaped his views.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51870948786449,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51870948851985,"sku":"GOR005321503","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780470248393.jpg?v=1754121627"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-david-c-downing.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}