Marc J. Driftmeyer
Typeset Classic Compositions

This section is about giving back to the world of literature by typesetting famous and infamous works of literature that are either out-of-print or are currently not in their complete reproduction resulting in an incomplete view of the work(s). Many authors long since deceased made enormous contributions to the world of philosophy, mysticism, occult science, applied physical science, mathematics, politics, economics, communications and countless other fields. Over time I will attempt to reproduce as many of them and offer them to the Gutenberg project as a way of giving back.

It exposes me to the authors as well as it gives me projects to work on which help me expand my skills in typsetting using the TeX/LaTeX environments. The first two projects are the “Maleus Maleficarum” and “The Book Of A Thousand Nights And A Night” by Sir Richard Francis Burton, British Officer, Spy, Linguist and Explorer of Mysticism.

Typesetting Public Domain Classics

Many projects currently being housed on the Net are dedicating themselves to restoring classics, now past their copyright, and available for all to read. Unfortunately, there are several problems so far:

  1. HTML is not a pre-press standard
  2. PDF is a pre-press format but when non-pre-press software is applied to just converting HTML into PDF wrapped pages(e.g., Acrobat Writer 4.x/5.x/6.x) you get the files in a convenient PDF document but not in a proper print layout.
  3. The typesetting of fonts, style design are not even considered.
Software Tools ::
Open Source
Software ::
Kile TeX/LaTeX Editor

Version ::
1.8.1

Web Site ::

Software ::
TeTeX/LaTeX

Version ::
pdfeTeX-1.10b/tetex-2.02c Debian

Web Site ::

Web Site ::

So what I am attempting to do is give back to the Sacred Texts Organization, in due time, by coverting several of their books, presently in non-well-formed HTML and return it as high-quality pre-press PDF using LaTeX Publishing Tools.

The Malleus Maleficarum ::
(The Witch Hammer)

If the title doesn't draw any memories, think about the Spanish Inquisition and the Catholic Church whose went on an well-over five hundred years of persecuting innocent human beings converting them to Catholicism or murdering them, on the grounds of Witchcraft—citing the Church created Satan as the source of the accused Witches' evil and heresy, against the Church.

Being well educated in Anthropology and comparative religions (my minor at WSU was Anthropology—my diversion from Mechanical Engineering), I find that such a book of antiquity needs to be well-preserved to remind Mankind how very uncivilized Humanity can and often still is today, nearly three hundred years after the Salem Witch Trials.

All due credits are retained and given to the authors of this rare and seemingly unique doctrine. My credits only have to do with making the typesetting current, using the Memoir Class along with several other class packages I have included referenced, inside the Editor's Note section.

One final note: I am not writing this to insult Christians or Christianity. I write this to give the world the necessary information to help restore the history of the Catholic Church, warts and all.

Document Draft ::
Malleus Maleficarum
Editor ::
Marc J. Driftmeyer

Version ::
0.7

Date ::
10 November 2005

Pages ::
406

Filesize ::
2.2MB

Format ::
Two-Column, Letter 600dpi Printing, Times

URL ::
Malleus Final Draft presently being typset and link available ASAP.

Status ::
Indexing in progress

The Book Of A Thousand Nights And A Night ::
Sir Richard Francis Burton

This is the entire sixteen volume set, footnoted and cited works from which Burton took on the mountainous task of bringing to the Western world the many obscure and hidden world within the world of Islam and the roles of both sexes leaving no stone left unturned. It is here we discover the famous reference to Sinbad and these are FOR ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. The entire realm of sexual conduct, morales and countless roles of the many varied political and military leaders weave the tales of tales before the King who is recited these by the woman he forwarns will be beheaded if she fails to keep his attention. Whether that is just fable is irrelevant to the stories and their erotic natures. If you are interested in understanding the more hidden nature of Islam and the practices of its people then these stories, however bizarre to the western mind will illuminate and to the sensitive mind possibly corrupt you permanently. I do not suggest you read these if you find discussion about sexual conduct as taboo.

Document Draft ::
The Book Of A Thousand Nights And A Night
Editor ::
Marc J. Driftmeyer

Version ::
0.1

Date ::
10 November 2005

Pages ::
> 4000

Filesize ::
> 15MB

Format ::
Single-Column, Letter 600dpi Printing, Times

URL ::
PDF Draft Copy

Status ::
Indexing in progress

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