The Jericho Sanction: A Novel

Book Description

Newman has to choose whether to go ahead with the mission or abandon it to find and rescue his wife. But Israel has discovered that Iraq has nukes and plans a preemptive attack on Baghdad with Jericho missiles. If that happens, and Islamic terrorists like Saddam and bin Laden respond in kind, it might trigger a Middle East war that could go global. It seems as if nothing can prevent an Armageddon.

Download Description

Oliver North follows his best-selling novel Mission Compromised with a suspenseful, action-packed sequel set in Israel and Iraq. Lt. Col. Peter Newman (USMC) and his family are threatened when his cover is blown. While preparing for a clandestine U.S. mission to find Iraqi nuclear weapons, Newman's wife Rachel is kidnapped in Jerusalem-along with her friend, the wife of an Israeli Sayeret counter-terrorism operative responsible for Israeli terrorist assassinations.

Newman has to choose whether to go ahead with the mission or abandon it to find and rescue his wife. But Israel has discovered that Iraq has nukes and plans a preemptive attack on Baghdad with Jericho missiles. If that happens, and Islamic terrorists like Saddam and bin Laden respond in kind, it might trigger a Middle East war that could go global. It seems as if nothing can prevent an Armageddon.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Book.......2007-08-02

I love OLLIE NORTH novels every one has me on the edge of my seat.They are exciting,moral,interesting.You feel as if you are reading the news paper.The best thing, I can let my grandchilren read them.Sincerely merle from wv

The Jericho Sanction by Oliver North.......2007-07-20

I found the book to be very interesting. I was nice to read an espionage book without any unsavory language.

Surprisingly better than the first.......2007-06-14

No need to expand on the plot of the book, it's a good novel, suspenseful and interesting. I read the book in a day and a half, because I couldn't put it down.

The Jericho Sanction by Oliver North.......2007-01-09

This book was an excellent read. I read it over Christmas break and couldn't put it down. I was finding excuses to hide from the family so I could see what happened next.

A Fantastic and Educational Thrill Ride.......2006-12-27

Combine Oliver North's deep knowledge of the inner workings and politics of the U.S. Military and foreign affairs with Joe Mussers careful crafting of words and you get a first-rate thrill ride.

Jericho Sanction is a worthy sequel to Mission Compromised. Actually, it improves upon the first effort. I love North's passion, patriotism, and faith, born out, real-time on the secret battlefields of the Middle East.

I loved Jericho sanction and could hardly put it down. I learned a lot about international affairs, pre-9/11, pre-Iraq War.

This is a one-night read that will leave you in a cold sweat.

Average customer rating:

Should be six or seven stars!

excellent

Standard fare for a Wingman book.

Maloney has gone off the deep edge with this one.
Target: Point Zero (Wingman No. 12)
Mack Maloney
Manufacturer: Pinnacle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Men's Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0786002999

Book Description

It's been years since the Big War incinerated America in nuclear fire and anarchists dealt liberty a final blow. Out of the ashes of rebellion emerges an unstoppable military force of freedom fighters, led by Hawk Hunter, determined to keep the spirit of the US alive!

Customer Reviews:

Should be six or seven stars!.......2002-05-02

I just bought this book and it is a great read! Twists and turns, lots of action, lots of sex and a great lead-in to Hawk Hunter's alternative universe adventures. I think some readers who gave it only 3 stars or so are maybe those who can't quite look below the surface and appreciate its more subtle points. There is definitely a lot going on! When will Hollywood wake up and do a Wingman movie?

excellent.......1999-01-18

I have read all of the "wingman" series and I have enjoyed them all. I have 16 + years of military background,all to do with naval aviation. Not all is 100% accurate,but it can't be for security reasons. Douglas H. Hoch Jr USS T. ROOSEVELT

Standard fare for a Wingman book........1997-04-28

Once again Maloney has shown us that he must get small tid bits of information somewhere, does not research them and then uses them in his books. Grain of salt is a requirement for reading any of the Wingman books

Maloney has gone off the deep edge with this one........1996-12-29

I enjoyed his War Heaven books, but I think he has gone too far beyond reality with this one

Average customer rating:

Wingman #12: Target: Point Zero
Mack Maloney
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000FOI89Q

Amazon.com

Looking for a collection of stories that will briskly sweep the cobwebs of tradition out of your science fiction-loving head? This is it. Bryan Cholfin has grabbed the best bits from the pages of his eclectic, intelligent magazine, Crank!, and created an anthology in the edgy tradition of Dangerous Visions. Here you'll find stories by the literary lights of SF and fantasy--Gene Wolfe, Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Bishop, David R. Bunch, Jonathan Lethem, Brian Aldiss, and oh, so many more.

Some of the 17 stories are startling, some hilarious, and some sad, but all meet Cholfin's criterion--they "encourage the growth of a richer, livelier, more interesting and more meaningful literature with space for all the possibilities of tomorrow." And while there are some familiar elements here (like spaceships, strange futures, and aliens), every science fiction device in the book is necessary, used carefully to further a great story, and not just thrown in gratuitously to fit a marketable cover. This outstanding anthology will challenge fans to reach between and beyond established genre definitions. Those who make the leap will find themselves holding a collection of pure gold literary nuggets. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

The debut of CRANK! stunned the science fiction world with its disregard for obsolete notions of genre fiction, instead insisting on highly individual and imaginative fiction of literary distinction. This volume presents the best from CRANK!

Customer Reviews:

Clever, but not compelling --- with two exceptions.......2006-07-25

Many of the positive reviews of this book make much of the fact that these are stories for "intelligent" readers of SF. I will agree with these reviewers to this extent: most of the stories in this volume are definitely clever.

Alas, with two major exceptions, cleverness is all these stories have going for them. The stories collected herein are uncompelling, bloodless, and altogether forgettable. Many "intellectual" elements, such as inventive wordplay and metafictional tropes, would be much more effective and worthwhile had they not been used in such sub-par stories.

The two major exceptions to this come from veteran writers Ursula LeGuin and Michael Bishop. LeGuin's brilliant "The Matter of Seggri" tells the story of the encounter between a galactical civilization and a backwater planet called Seggri, a world in which the two sexes live in segregation and where the lives of men are highly circumscribed. Told in the form of official reports, indigenous short fiction, and memoirs, the story explores themes of gender prejudice, the ecological basis and social function of gender roles, and the difficulties posed by change in the face of first contact.

Bishops's "I, Iscariot" is equally ingenius. A virtual trial is being held for the greatest traitor of all time, a man whose name is synonymous with betrayal, Judas Iscariot. Bishop deftly cross-examines the biblical record with surprising results. This story is particularly noteworthy because it echoes the ancient subversive ideas recently uncovered by National Geographic researchers in the so-called "Gospel of Judas." Should be required reading for any course on the New Testament.

Beyond those two luminaries, though, lies very little of note. Check it out if you must, but don't waste your money.

Steroids and implants for the brain.......2003-04-14

I got this book as a gift from my girlfriend -- turned out to be the nicest gift I've gotten in ages. I am a really hard-to-please reader. Books don't usually make me laugh out loud in pleasure. This book made me laugh in surprise/pleasure/disorientation about 200 times. It kept leading me down paths and then switching course, which I love. And most of the paths momentarily pursued were really pretty inventive. So yeah. Read this book. It's got BRAINS and it's got a SOUL, or whatever the sci-fi-book equivalent of a soul would be. Every story in it is intense, challenging, contains a wallop, speaks for itself, changes a worldview, or is somehow UNIQUE. If you thrive on kookiness, if you are bored with mainstream pulp and shudder at artsy self-conscious pretentiousness, if you gasp with orgasmic pleasure upon having your expectations truly defied, and if your ultra-super-big-brain is getting tragically stale with a general lack of input, then darn it pick up this book of short stories and romp away.

Worth every penny.

These are some of my favorite short stories:

Mood Bender: set within a disturbingly familiar future, this dark little story of puppets and economy is my favorite. The author zooms through dozens of crazy-true ideas about art, advertising, audioanimatronics, mood, money, religion, and lots more.

Clap if You Believe: if you've ever been over to your girlfriend's/boyfriend's house for dinner and been suspiciously scrutinized by your lover's parents, well, this story will twist your heart in all the right places. Ouch.

Nixon in Space: All I will say is, I have never read anything remotely like this weird short story in my life. The lunatic way McCleary mixes history and humorous fiction makes the head swim; I got tickled in a mindspot I hadn't known existed. "We want to go to the mooooooooon!!!"

I, Iscariot: Errr, I wouldn't have expected a long short story about Judas to be interesting or engaging, but this one was beautifully crafted and contains so many inventive details that I got really sucked in. Let's face it, Christianity can be so darned BORING since our culture is SATURATED with the stuff. To those of us outside the religion, most attempts by ministers and screenwriters to update the mythology for the 21st century come across as crippled in their conception. Maybe more stories like this one could rejuvenate the enterprise, make it more accessible to people who are too lazy to be atheists or run all the way to Buddhism for their worldviews. Anyway, this story is about what would happen if computer programmers designed a virtual trial for Judas (resurrected after 2000 years of posthumous infamy) to be broadcast live to a skeptical audience of millions.

I Don't Care Who Keeps the Cows: What if the world suddenly got really smart? What if everyone had more brains than they knew what to do with, more brains than could fit inside their head? What if somewhere outside this new supersmart consciousness, a group of kooks WITHOUT much intelligence came to be the puppeteers of the human race? What is this story really about?

My advice is, buy the book. Feed your brain! Booya.

Makes one Cranky!.......2001-06-09

I purchased the collected stories of the "Best of Crank" based upon an early... review from Mike Swanwick: "CRANK! has been, from its inception, a scream against the dark night of genre and a haven for chimeric literary forms and writers who take chances. Here are stories that dance right on the edge of the abyss of the Unsayable. Some fall over, while others spread unexpected wings and fly. Here are the works that are shaping the future of science fiction."

Sounds exicting right? True, one of the stories was rather compelling, "Food Man" by Lisa Tuttle, was interesting. The rest of the stories I just could not get into.

I agree with T.Ross' most intelligent and excellent review (who was much kinder in his/her review). In sum, The Best of Crank is a little too cute for my taste. Agreeing with T.Ross, I too feel that the time reading this book could have been better spent. Others however might enjoy these works that cater to a certain type of personal preference. Maybe I'll come back to this collection of stories with a new set of eyes in the future.

A Mixed "Antigeneric" Bag.......2001-05-08

I should preface this by saying I'm only a dabbler in science fiction, and had never heard of Crank prior to reading this anthology. However, I'm always interested in trying out fiction that's attempting to push the edges of genre. Of course, it should be noted that in his somewhat whiny and facile introduction, editor Cholfin rails against the concept of genre (which I'm actually rather in agreement with) and presents this anthology as "a deliberately antigenric selection" of stories. In any event, the 17 stories range from a few pages to 40+ pages in length and, as with any anthology, vary considerably in quality. Like many short stories, many are built upon gimmicks--some of which work, and some of which don't. Lisa Tuttle's ""Food Man," about the intertwining of anorexia, food, and sex is a gem, easily the best of the stories. "The Matter of Seggri." Ursula Le Guin's description of a world where women live normally and men are raised as breeders, explores many of the gender themes her novels do, and with equal success. Robert Devereaux's tale about Tinkerbell and her human-sized boyfriend is another notable contribution, albeit a little cutesy. With his two and half stories here, Jonathan Lethem continues to befuddle me. I loved his books Motherless Brooklyn and Gun, With Occasional Music and hated Amnesia Moon. Similarly I quite liked his story "Mood Bender," and very much didn't like his story "The Happy Prince," or his cowritten piece, "Receding Horizon." In the end, I can't say I feel reading this "Best of" was time well spent, but I'm sure others with different tastes will find much to enjoy within.

Yummy anthology just keeps cranking!.......1998-11-21

It's my privilege to have kicked off the very first issue of CRANK! with my story "Clap If You Believe," which also has the honor of being included among editor Bryan Cholfin's choices for this "best of" compilation. This journal deserves all the accolades it has received, and THE BEST OF CRANK! is an anthology that moves from strength to strength. Buy it and enjoy!

The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 1
Chappelle, Leary, Stephen, Dave, Denis Colbert
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000LP5EBE

The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 2

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The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 2
Morgan, Silverman, Dane, Tracy, Sarah Cook
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000LP5EBO

The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 3

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The Best Uncensored Crank Calls, Volume 3
Silverman, Kimmel, Kevin, Sarah, Jimmy Nealon
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000LP5EBY

Average customer rating:

The Best of Crank
Bryan (Editor) Cholfin
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTKKRA

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Best of Crank
Bryan Cholfin
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTIFVS

Average customer rating:

The Best of Crank
Bryan Cholfin
Manufacturer: Tor Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQH2P2

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Crank Yankers-Best Crank Calls Vol. 1
Various Artists-Coro Cdcmdy 30004
Manufacturer: COMEDY CENTRAL RECORDS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 6307254297

Average customer rating:

Crank Yankers-Best Crank Calls Vol. 2
Various Artists-Grie Cdcmdy 30006
Manufacturer: COMEDY CENTRAL RECORDS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 630739885X

Average customer rating:

Better Than Hugh Johnson

A GOOD SECOND-LINE REFERENCE VOLUME

Over 1,600 entries on over 7,00 wines

Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2006 (Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guides)
Oz Clarke
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Buying Guides | Wine | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Wine & Winemaking | Wine | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2005 (Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book)

Wine Report 2007 (Wine Report)

Oz Clarke's Introducing Wine: A Complete Guide for the Modern Wine Drinker

Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2007 (Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guides)

Andrea Immer Robinson's 2006 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone: Revised Edition (Andrea Immer Robinson's Wine Buying Guide for Everyone)

ASIN: 0151011508

Book Description

Idispensable as ever, Oz Clarke's now-classic pocket wine guide has been thoroughly and meticulously revised and updated for 2006, with much-anticipated lists of favorite wines, top values, and producers and regions to watch, as well as with new vintage reports.

As user-friendly as it is complete, Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2006 lists each wine, grape, winery, producer, and region alphabetically for easy reference. It is a perfect pocket reference for novices--and essential for the seasoned wine lover wanting the latest information.

Customer Reviews:

Better Than Hugh Johnson.......2006-03-27

This is a terrific wine guide. Oz Clarke is knowledgeable and concise in his descriptions and often spot on. But best of all, the guide is totally alphabetical...you don't have to go to the country or regional section first...it's all one big section.

You can learn a lot from Clarke. but if you want a guide that helps you at the super market, the typical wine store (not one in NYC)...then get Andrea Immer's guide. Ever soooooooooo practical.

A GOOD SECOND-LINE REFERENCE VOLUME.......2006-02-23

While a decent enough compendium of wine info, it doesn't hold up against Hugh Johnson's better organized, more insightful guide. A good backup source for additional info but not what I'd go to for my primary research.

Over 1,600 entries on over 7,00 wines.......2006-02-06

With its A-Z organization, truly 'pocket' sized narrow format with a durable hardcover for lasting reference, and survey of wines from Napa to Lebanon, Pocket Wine Guide 2006 is a recommended reference pick for any who seek at-a-glance information. There are over 1,600 entries on over 7,00 wines, plus tips on top values and favorites and advice on how to match wine to food. The latest vintage information assures a current guide.

Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2006 (Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guides)

Average customer rating:

Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2006 (Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guides)
Oz Clarke
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ57WS

Average customer rating:

Engaging, informative, and applicable to Humans as well as our Pets

Holistic feeding for animals basics

Don't waste your money!

New age pet lovers will love this one!

THUMBS UP!!

Holistic Animal Handbook: A Guidebook to Nutrition, Health and Communication
Kate Solisti-Mattelon , and Patrice Mattelon
Manufacturer: Council Oak Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
General | Veterinary Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Conversations with Dog: An Uncommon Dogalog of Canine Wisdom

Conversations with Cat: An Uncommon Catalog of Feline Wisdom (Conversations With)

The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats

Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life

ASIN: 1571781536

Book Description

MAKE YOUR OWN PET FOOD ---

Because of the tragedy involving tainted pet food, we feel that its important to remind people that there are alternatives to processed pet foods.

"We believe that once caregivers realize what actually goes into pet foods, they will take action. If we are committed to having healthy animals in our lives, it is critical that we take responsibility for feeding them correctly." - The Holistic Animal Handbook

The Holistic Animal Handbook is the result of the authors' many years of experience working with animals and their people, veterinarians, nutritionists, and positive trainers. It includes: Recipes for cats and dogs, Breed-specific suggestions, Bach Flower Remedies, extensive Nutrition and Health resources, and much more to provide the caregiver with the tools to help the animals they love lead healthier, happier lives.

Customer Reviews:

Engaging, informative, and applicable to Humans as well as our Pets.......2007-07-08

I honestly don't have the time to read all the books I buy within the time period that Amazon sends out the survey, so I will say this review is based on some sheepish quick skimming of the first few chapters. As I read the excerpts, I am getting sucked into reading this a bit more... of course, the book IS for the demographic of pet owners that are willing to spend $40 on a 17lbs bag of cat food. =)

P.S. I recommend Innova, but the NaturaPet company has several good lines. Regular pet stores carry some organic lines, after this brand (special pet stores) Newman Organics is the next in quality, followed by the By Nature and Naturals in regular Pet stores.

[...].

Holistic feeding for animals basics.......2007-02-12

This is a useful book with information not available elsewhere which gives you info not only on a healthy, natural approach to feeding animals, but specifics for different breeds. We are killing our pets with dried kibble, and this book tells you not only why this is so, but gives you alternatives.

Don't waste your money!.......2003-07-17

The authors of this book basically think that they are animal psychics. Red alert! Right away that tells you something...their whole book is filled with nonsense about communicating with your pet telepathically and teaching holistic care and feeding. They also talk about herbal remedies, which was somewhat interesting, but, thinking realistically, I wouldn't use them.

Overall, this book has very little substance to it. There was not much at all to be gleaned from it. I knew most of the information already without reading this book. To sum it all up: it was a thin read, and very disappointing at that.

New age pet lovers will love this one!.......2002-05-06

This book is a great resource for pet lovers to use in dealing with any behavioral problems their furry friends display. I would recommend it to anyone that owns cats, dogs, birds, or horses - tons of good information on what makes these lovely animals tick.

Based on the recommendations in the book, I bought "Rescue Remedy", and use it every now and then on my little dolls, Gigi and Lulu. It quickly soothes and relaxes them - works great! I wish I'd found this stuff before! This book also discusses bach flower essences, and which ones might be best for your animals, based on their behavioral problems. Gigi used to be a holy terror, and she's become the sweetest cat since I started retraining her.

Definitely check this book out if you are a pet lover! Another great herbal resource to try - prescription for nutritive healing, herbal meds. I will never take non herbal medicine or go to a non-holistic doctor again, if I can help it.

THUMBS UP!!.......2001-05-12

I found this book to be a wonderful resource, particularly the Bach Flower remedies. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in natural remedies for animals.

Book Description

Since the 13th century, a few special public clocks have included the movement of the sun, moon, earth and other planets, and from those early days Jacks were devised as human figures which actually "struck" the hours. Soon thereafter, automata appeared as mechanical figures that performed many and various acts, such as the four knights on horseback who joust on the hour at the Wells Cathedral in England. Over 300 clocks, for buildings or tabletops, which do far more than tell time, are presented here with concise historical explanations, detailed drawings, and clear color photography. 22 chapters examine the amazing mystery, novelty, and fantasy clocks that display magical acts, appear to require no power to drive them, or have no apparent connection between the movement and the hands. Famous makers in England, Germany, France, and Switzerland created these special clocks which became treasures of royalty throughout Europe and Asia, particularly in Chinese courts. Clocks with mysterious, novel, and fantastic features continue to be made up to the present for retailers such as Asprey and Cartier. For over 700 years these amazing clocks have delighted and challenged all who witness their makers' ingenuity.

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Living Spaces : Over 30 Instant Room Transformations
Stewart and Sally Walton
Manufacturer: Hermes House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1844772942

Product Description

Approx. 8" x 11", photo illustrated.

Living Spaces: Over 30 Instant Room Transformations

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Living Spaces: Over 30 Instant Room Transformations
Walton
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0754803104

Book Description

Includes over 30 projects to transform your living space, inexpensive makeovers and projects to suit every level of skill, and short cuts and professional tips for stylish results with minimum effort.

Customer Reviews:

Visual Revolution.......2001-01-27

Eric has an amazingly sensitive and intense way of expressing his views on social justice issues. mainly it is all rapped up in love. devour this book and start painting on the walls.

Product Description

The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.

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Ahead of His Time
Vital Insight
THE OUTSIDER
thorough, well written, compelling
Finally, the Biography Wright Deserves

Richard Wright: The Life and Times
Hazel Rowley
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 080504776X

Amazon.com

Born in Mississippi in 1908, the grandson of former slaves, Richard Wright spent his teenage years chopping wood, carrying coal, scrubbing floors, and enduring a thousand indignities. Later, in novels such as Native Son and The Outsider as well as works of journalism and autobiography, he raised profoundly disturbing questions about the "nightmarish jungle" of race relations in contemporary America, offering profoundly pessimistic answers in return.

For his troubles, literary historian Hazel Rowley shows in this sweeping biography, Wright earned a large readership--even, for a time, a place on the bestseller lists and the top income-tax bracket. But, because he had joined the Communist Party as a young man, he was also denounced from the floor of the United States Senate--accused of anti-Americanism and even suspected of spying for Moscow--and his books were banned in several states and cities. Wright protested that he had repudiated Marxism years before, bitterly remarking, "The Western world must make up its mind as to whether it hates colored people more than it hates Communists." Eventually, a prophet without honor, he left his native country and lived out the rest of his years in France, where he is buried.

Rowley draws on a wealth of archival material (as she notes, "Wright kept everything--drafts of manuscripts, letters, photographs, hotel bills, newspaper cuttings") and his body of work to portray the justly angry writer. The result is a welcome contribution to literary and historical studies. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The first full-scale biography of the author of Black Boy and Native Son -- written with the dramatic drive of a novel.

"Writing," Richard Wright once said, "is my way of being a free man." In this authoritative and engaging biography, Hazel Rowley chronicles Wright's extraordinary journey from a sharecropper's shack in Mississippi to international renown as a writer, fiercely independent thinker, and outspoken critic of racism.

The child of the fundamentalist South with an eighth-grade education, a self-taught intellectual in the working-class Communist Party of the 1930s, a black man married to a white woman, and an expatriate in France after World War II, Wright was always an outsider. Skillfully interweaving quotations from Wright's writings, Rowley portrays a man who transced the times in which he lived and sought to reconcile opposing cultures in his work. She draws on recently discovered material to shed new light on Wright's relationships with Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, and others, and on his self-imposed exile in France (widely blamed for his so-called decline as a writer). In this lively, finely crafted narrative, Wright -- passionate, complex, courageous, and flawed -- comes vibrantly to life.

Customer Reviews:

Ahead of His Time.......2006-08-30

I came across this book while basically just browsing many different topics. I had read "Black Boy" and "Native Son" many, many years ago, and had kind of lumped them in with books by other black authors like "Invisible Man" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain". However, having fortunately had my consciousness raised significantly since the late 60's, I decided to read this biography - there was another biography by Margaret Walker, a former friend of Wright's, but it seemed a little bitter and so possibly not as objective. I noted right away this was what I call a "two bookmark" book - one for the text and one for the footnotes at the back (I much prefer footnotes at the bottom of the page but realize this is sometimes too awkward and voluminous). The story evolved of a man whose life somewhat overlapped with my own, beginning with his wretched and impoverished childhood in Mississippi, spent mostly with his mother and brother after his father left and started another family. Richard's family was incredibly poor, in a poor black section of a poor town in the poor state of Mississippi. Other adjectives for Mississippi at that time, and for years to come, spring to mind, like "brutal", "racist to the nth degree", "lynching addicted", "determined to maintain a questionable (and certainly not enviable) "white way of life" by harsh infliction of Jim Crow laws. However, the young Richard Wright had great artistic intelligence, as well as an exceptionally mind, and a dream for his life from which he would not waver. He could no longer live in a State where his inferiors were seen to be his superiors. He moved to Chicago ("up North") with an aunt while in his teens and was disappointed and horrified by many of the conditions he found there. There were minimally more opportunities for Negroes (as they were called at that time, also "coloreds") and "race-mixing", while widely frowned upon, was accepted in certain circles. Richard was introduced into the Communist Party, and thus began a decades old love-hate relationship with communism. Yes, he got many good opportunities to exercise his writing abilities through the Party's many literary outlets, but he resented its stifling nature and in-fighting. Eventually, he felt he had been duped by the Party and he also felt he could no longer tolerate the obvious infiltration by the FBI and CIA, who were beginning their paroxysms of anti-Communist hysteria at that time, wasting millions of tax-payer dollars scrutinizing and harassing ordinary and innocent citizens, particularly those involved in the arts and in civil rights. This hysteria, of course, culminated in the insanely megalomaniacal frenzy known as "The McCarthy Era", after the fixated, parapolitical, ranting Senator who gave this era its name. He also progressed through work he did under the auspices of the WPA. He had some close writer friends and developed close friendships with his agent and his publisher, and lived a fairly social life (although he most loved to be by himself, writing), mostly through activities in the Party, the WPA and earlier, at the Post Office where he was temporarily employed. He also lived for quite some time in New York, which was a little more progressive; however, he encountered instances of racial prejudice there, as well. His first big book, Native Son, was a huge success considering white America really didn't like to have more than one big Negro writer at any one time. Black Boy followed. He also wrote many short stories and essays. He married precipitously (actually his second choice) because he felt he should be married and have children. After considerable passport problems, he moved his family to France, where he felt much more at home, despite France's somewhat straitened circumstances following WW II. Richard Wright was keenly aware and interested in matters of a political nature, and particularly as they affected "people of color", which included also citizens of the oriental countries, Africa, Muslim countries, etc. He also traveled to Spain and some of the Nordic countries. He was fascinated by people and their reactions to their circumstances in life. He maintained close correspondences with many of the literary figures of the day, both black and white, and counted them among his close friends. In his personal professional life, he was incredibly focused and hard-working. Most of his books were required to be extensively edited by his publisher, often up to over one-third of the original book. However, he took on these tasks with diligence, resignation and hard work, as he realized that a book that doesn't sell is basically just a home decoration. During his life, he wrote fiction, biography thinly disguised as fiction, short stories, songs, plays, non-fiction travel memoirs, books of political and historical theory and, toward the end of his life, haikus. He and his wife had two daughters but eventually his wife and children moved to England, while he remained in France to write. Even when they all lived together, he often traveled for six months to a year at a time by himself researching and writing. Needless to say, he and his wife grew emotionally apart - his weakness for other women didn't help. Instead of bemoaning this turn of events, although I'm sure she did in the beginning, Ellen Wright turned to publishing, with the help of Simone deBeauvoir, a friend originally of Richard's but then later, Ellen's very close friend. His later books, written in France, did not do as well, with the possible exception of "The Outsider". His publisher and agent speculated that perhaps he had been overseas too long and was not aware of the changes that had taken place in the U.S., and particularly in Mississippi, where his stories took place, making his books dated. Paradoxically, his books that took place in France and Spain were panned as not being familiar enough to him. He never gave up, however, despite ill health that had plagued him off and on since adulthood and which had become worse in his later years, culminating in a truly scary course of treatment by his German doctor. His untimely death was a blow to the millions of people who would have been enriched by the books still in him, and of the books unpublished at this death. In particular, I would have loved to have read his book about Africa. Richard Wright was a writer of uncommon intelligence and research habits, with a gift of seeing into the hearts of people. He wrote equally well about the white races. He also comes across as a fairly loyal and interesting friend, as well as a loving father. Even in hard times, he provided for his family, despite his basic estrangement from Ellen, his wife. His untimely death was a loss for all readers, but his legacy lives on, as I, for one, fully intend to read (and in some cases re-read) every book I can find by Richard Wright. This was a fairly long book, with voluminous footnotes, but I can honestly say I was never bored, and there were never parts I felt I had to skip over. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to "meet" Richard Wright, the man and the author.

Vital Insight.......2002-03-22

Why has it taken a half-century for a really good writer to produce a biography of Richard Wright? It had not seemed "natural" until Hazel Rowley's new book.

Far beyond crippling "racial," political, and professional cliches, Rowley has crafted easily the most comprehensive, insightful and balanced life of Wright. Her prose and understanding are unaffectedly live and clear. Her feel for Wright's accomplishment, the range of the man's life and times is superb! Her book is an enriching pleasure that ought finally to compel honest recognition of this unique American genius.

THE OUTSIDER.......2002-01-12

Many biographies have been written about Richard Wright but this remarkable book gives you a fresh perspective on this man who turned the publishing world upside down with his book Native Son. Unlike the other books written about him, The Life and Times focuses on the personal life of Wright and how over the years he developed as a writer.

Rowley takes us to his home state of Mississippi where we meet Richard Wright as a boy. Raised in a fundamentalist religious family in the midst of poverty, Wright was a true outsider who was not understood by his family or friends. His migration to the north (Chicago) unfolds a new world for him where his writing abilities are recognized and nurtured.

You see a Richard Wright who embraces individualism and won't allow the Communist Party or any other organization to dictate to him how to write. As time goes on Wright takes the step of permanently leaving the United States by going to France. It is there that he finds a freedom never felt before in America.

I enjoyed this book and was surprised about many facts concerning his personal life and writing career. Wright's psychological development and philosophical stances are intriguing. At times he is an outspoken voice against racism but ends up making compromises in his work and personal life. Towards the end of his life, Wright becomes suspicious of those around him. He alienates himself from his family and friends.

Rowley shows us the complexities and humanity of a man who went from poverty to fame and then on a downward spiral into spiritual poverty. What was it that made this man tick? The author does an outstanding job in answering that question and putting him in perspective of his day and time. This is an outstanding book that deserves to be in the libraries of every reader.

thorough, well written, compelling.......2001-11-17

Wright undoubtedly is one of the most interesting figures in American literature. He was among the second generation of post-slavery African Americans and received only the most rudimentary education in the segregated South, but went on to be one of the most celebrated literary figures of his time, trading wits with Albert Camus and Jean Paul Sartre at the height of the French existentialist movement in Paris. In 1941 the eminent sociologist Robert Park summed it up upon meeting Wright, asking simply "how in hell did you happen?"

Rowley's biography is well written and thoroughly researched, and the subject matter is a fascinating one. Wright is probably more interesting as a personality and sociological phenomenon than he was as a writer (it's been argued that Native Son was his one and only true work of genius) but the story of his life makes for riveting reading. Wright's life is a study of contrasts and ironies. He grew up in the injustice and grinding poverty of Jim Crow Mississippi, spent time as a Communist immersed in Marxist doctrine, and after achieving fame and fortune went on to live in bourgeoisie luxury in post-war Paris surrounded by impoverished White Europeans.

This is an excellent biography: thorough, well referenced, and compelling. I give it four stars instead of five simply because it is somehow missing that element that is present in the best of biographies which allows the reader to look into the motives and inspirations of the subject. Rowley includes a lot of facts about Wright's early life (his influences, who gave him his first books, etc.) but I never felt like I understood the reason that this particular Black youth from the Deep South ended up reading Mencken, Chekhov, and Maupassant in his spare time and dreaming of fame as an author. In short, I'm not sure that Rowley's biography succeeds in answering Robert Park's question.

Overall, however, this is an outstanding book. Rowley is an objective and unbiased biographer. Rowley covers not only Wright the author, but also the age in which he lived. Wright was a truly original voice in the history of American literature, and was among the fist to bring the Black experience to American readers. He deserves to be remembered, and Rowley does a fine job of telling the story of his life. Highly recommended.

Finally, the Biography Wright Deserves.......2001-09-20

Richard Wright is a major American author and, as such, deserves a major biography. Up until now, this has not happened.

Sure, there have been previous attempts. Friends (Constance Webb), enemies (Margaret Walker), and scholars (Michel Fabre) have all had their turn, but only Hazel Rowley's account, RICHARD WRIGHT: THE LIFE AND TIMES, can be considered definitive.

The fact that Wright is the subject of a major book in the 21st century is in itself marvelous. Too often, Wright has been dismissed since his death in 1960 by critics, readers, and other writers. That a major publishing house (Henry Holt and Company) would even put out Rowley's work is a testament to the revival of Wright in literary circles.

And Rowley has provided us with a wonderfully balanced account. She recaps the triumphs (NATIVE SON, BLACK BOY), and is not afraid to include the faults (Wright's weakness for casual affairs and his indulgence in psychological babble in later works). What emerges is a portrait of a gifted outsider who managed success in spite of an almost crippling self-doubt.

In chapter after chapter, Rowley describes not only Wright's experience; she manages to incorporate the context of the experience as well. This journalistic tactic is especially rewarding in the passages describing Wright's travels to Spain and Africa in later life (his reactions *to* those travels make sense in the narrative as well). In fact, the book's only flaw is the quick wrap-up; I would have liked to read a summary of Wright's influence, and a few lines about his family today, in the closing.

But this is a small problem compared to what Rowley has achieved. Here, at last, is a clean, readable account of a neglected but nevertheless important figure in American literature. It is to be hoped that the book spurs renewed interest in the actual works of its subject.

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Richard Wright the Life & Times
Hazel Rowley
Manufacturer: HOLT, HENRY * & CO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SGS00I

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The Wright Brothers (Life Times)
Richard Tames
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0749650257

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The premature death of our native son

Hazel Rowley. Richard Wright: The Life and Times.(Book Review): An article from: World Literature Today
Daniel Garrett
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008DZYZA
Release Date: 2005-07-31

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This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 864 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hazel Rowley. Richard Wright: The Life and Times.(Book Review)
Author: Daniel Garrett
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: 77 Issue: 1 Page: 109(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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The premature death of our native son.......2005-08-23

Ever since I read "Native Son" in the early 60's I was overpowered by the sheer scope and magnitude of its reach in telling the story of a black man in racist America. The provocative prose with which it is written and its naked force upon the reader is like a shock wave, even today. Although the memory of that story remained with me throughout my life, it wasn't until this month that I came across a newly-published biography and decided it was time to indulge my fascination for Richard Wright. I was repaid a hundred-fold with a painstakingly resourced biography which not only revealed the incredible life story of a black boy raised to "know his place"in the racist South, but his rise to become a self-made intellectual author, speaker,and poet, as well as a voice for Black America. His success as a leader in Chicago's Communist Party of the 30's and 40's, which he joined primarily to attain a voice in what was then the only intellectual community open to blacks, his assessment later of that party and break from it, his numerous romantic liasons, his marriage and children, and his final period of liberation from Jim Crow America to become a resident of France are carefully delineated by Hazel Rowley with a firm grasp of her subject and a mature, objective voice. There is no doubt that Wright's history is every bit as important and fascinating as his literary work. It is a life lived to the fullest by a man who did not stint to speak the unspeakable about his views on racism in his own country, as well as abroad. Bigger Thomas, the protagonist of Native Son, is perhaps the archetype of possible outcomes of a life devestated from birth by the sanctioning of unparalleled racist oppression. It is well to read Wright's magnum opus before one can truly appreciate the biography of this complex, outspoken, and ingenius personality.

Richard Wright: The Life and Times. (Books: sorrow, rage, bitterness).(Review): An article from: American Scholar

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Richard Wright: The Life and Times. (Books: sorrow, rage, bitterness).(Review): An article from: American Scholar
John Freeman
Manufacturer: Phi Beta Kappa Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008IE492
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Scholar, published by Phi Beta Kappa Society on September 22, 2001. The length of the article is 1901 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Richard Wright: The Life and Times. (Books: sorrow, rage, bitterness).(Review)
Author: John Freeman
Publication: American Scholar (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2001
Publisher: Phi Beta Kappa Society
Volume: 70 Issue: 4 Page: 145(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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The life and times of Major Richard Robert Wright, Sr. and the National Freedom Day Association, Inc

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The life and times of Major Richard Robert Wright, Sr. and the National Freedom Day Association, Inc
Delores Y Wright
Manufacturer: D.Y. Wright Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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RICHARD WRIGHT: THE LIFE AND TIMES
Hazel Rowley
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J3WF9C

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