Book Description
For thirty-three-year-old Mohammed al-Rehaief, this decision -- whether to risk his life and everything he held dear to save Private First Class Jessica Lynch, an American soldier he did not know -- was more than the everyday reckoning with death that permeates wartime. It was the culmination of a life spent at odds with the repressive regime that held his country.
Mohammed's story is the tale of what it was like to come of age in a society where violence and betrayal were everyday events, where one in five adult males worked for the state's security apparatus, where a president-for-life demanded absolute loyalty and adulation. Despite his affluent upbringing and a well-connected uncle, Mohammed was hardly sheltered from the surreal cruelties of Iraq. He was arrested and beaten for owning a satellite dish. His young daughter lost a lung to misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgery. An idolized cousin was hanged for joining an Islamic political group. A favorite teacher was carted away for making subversive statements and was never seen again.
Yet even as he navigates a culture tarnished by brutality and corruption, Mohammed also reveals unexpected sides of Iraq, scenes of surprising tenderness and stubborn generosity. He writes with insight and humor about the Iraqi schools, the vagaries of its divorce law, the poignant dynamic between its fathers and sons -- between tradition and jolting change.
As Mohammed offers his powerful perspective on themost publicized story of this controversial war, he emerges as an unlikely hero, a complex and charming character whose values transcend ideology: honor, compassion, and an unshakable belief in the sanctity of human life.
Customer Reviews:
We Now Know: Jessica Lynch .......2007-04-17
Five stars for bravado. The Guardian reported on the astonishing faked rescue of Jessica Lynch as long ago as May 2003 [...]
including the fact that military producers were inspired by the story line and production techniques in Jerry Bruckheimer's fictional "Black Hawk Down." It has been clear for nearly four years that Al-Rehaief's reward for his part in the staged rescue was asylum in the US and a big book contract. Hey--knowing how grim the situation in Iraq has become--how the American war has devastated civil society and led to a civil war--wouldn't you do the same thing as Mr. Al-Rehaief?
If I taught journalism classes, I would use this book as an example of how effectively governments have learned to use media to hoodwink citizens.
Awesome with very little J.L. in it.......2005-06-11
This book was an extraordinary look at the life of an Iraqi citizen and the trials he went through before he found JL in the hospital and what he and his family went through after. For those who don't think very highly of JL, you won't read much about her in here. It was a very fast read and hard to put down. Kudos to the author for putting his life and the lives of his entire family on the line to save an American life.
Engaging read.......2004-06-01
So many reviews seem to center around whether the events were true or not or with they agree with Lynch's account. (Their paths only cross for a matter of minutes in the book so I don't know how much there is to dispute. Only a 3rd party witness could confirm.) I can say about the book that...
- It was hard to put down.
- It was more about the author's life than her rescue. I enjoyed this intimate look at an Iraqi's family life as much as the rescue.
- It seemed at times too fantastic to be true but that may be simply because my everyday life is a cozy one in America compared to the author's in Iraq.
- Some of the atrocities are hard to read about. I don't think this would be appropriate reading for young children.
Destined To Be a Classic.......2003-11-27
This book is destined to be a classic, in several genres. If you start reading it, be sure you can afford the time to read it all the way through -- it's hard to set down. The opening is intense, yet the reader's hope that that level might be sustained is exceeded -- the story just keeps getting more gripping.
It's an adventure story, history, humor, sociology, a spiritual journey, and a patriotic work all together (it'll make you proud to be an American).
Mr. Al-Rehaief has done more single-handedly to redeem the Arab culture than all of the rest combined.
Stranger Than Fiction.......2003-11-24
Being a Shiite Moslem, Mr. Mohammed Odeh Al-Rehaief has been a first-hand witness to savagery throughout his life. In his home city of Nasiriya, he had been an attorney, and was a wealthy man whose extended family owned properties and businesses. Yet, this did not shield him from the corruption and brutality of Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
Who would ever have imagined that an Iraqi citizen would knowingly risk losing everything, including his own life and the lives of his family, in order to save one soldier; a soldier whose country was then engaged in bombing his city to pieces. Here, however, we are forced to believe it, simply because we know that it is true.
It has been pointed out that Mr. Al-Rehaief is given but brief mention in her own book, but the fact is that Pfc Jessica Lynch does express that she will be forever grateful to him. That she does not recall the events as he describes them should come as no surprise, since she was barely conscious of anything except pain during her captivity. By Pfc Lynch's own admission, it is unlikely that she would be alive today if it had not been for the efforts of this Iraqi civilian, and his success in reaching the US Marines, stationed outside the city as they continued their attack.
Maybe it is through his family that we can glean some insight into the character of Mr. Al-Rehaief and where his strong moral values originate: As the book ends, the rest of his family, headed by his father, the son of a sheikh, are waiting in international limbo, not knowing what will happen to them next. They have lost everything. Yet I detect no sentiment of regret, complaint or accusation in their descriptions of the hardships caused by the loss of their entire way of life. Such unselfishness seems unfathomable, but again we are forced to believe it, simply because it is true.
Who among us...?
Average customer rating:
- Lest We Forget
- Fascinating Look At One Of The Century's Most Famous Authors
- Fascinating Look At One Of The Century's Most Famous Authors
- A behind the scenes look at the writing of great history
- History As Anti-Climax
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Captured by History: One Man's Vision of Our Tumultuous Century
John Toland
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0312154909 |
Amazon.com
John Toland has always been a somewhat controversial figure in historical circles. A writer of biographies and histories, Toland has no formal training in history--no advanced degrees, and not even an undergraduate course to his name. Yet his biography of Hitler, his Pulitzer Prize-winning history of Japan, and his chronicles of World War II have earned him the respect and support of his many readers, if not always of his peers. Captured by History is Toland's retrospective of his own life, times, and work.
Toland makes no pretense of being a professional historian. His earliest aspirations, it seems, were to become a novelist and playwright. Though he failed in the creative-writing arena, he brought a certain novelistic sensibility to the writing of history. He relied heavily on personal interviews for his information, gladly granting anonymity to his sources--a practice that drove documentation-driven historians wild. His books were structured with drama in mind, and read more like exciting novels than dry history. Though historians sneered, readers embraced him. Toland's memoir, Captured by History, undoubtedly will be welcomed by his many fans.
Book Description
Captured by History is an autobiography like none other in recent years, for few historians have interviewed as many men and women who helped shape the most momentous events of our century than John Toland. Here, for the first time, Toland reveals how he found these key players and how he persuaded them to talk to him.
From disgraced Japanese generals to the German doctor who nearly succeeded in assassinating Hitler, Toland's sources are remarkable for what they reveal about their subjects. It was Toland's ability to listen, more than anything else, that persuaded those he interviewed to divulge secrets and stories they would tell no one else. Toland's unorthodox approach to history came from his early desire to be a playwright. Even before graduating from Williams College during the depths of the Depression, Toland spent his summers hitchhiking and riding the rails as a hobo. He lived and worked with other bindle stiffs, learning their lingo and ways. He served five short jail sentences for riding freights and trespassing. His experiences and the characters he met encouraged Toland to write plays and early novels (unsuccessfully) until 1957, when he published his first book,
Ships in the Sky.
His work in the next four decades was nothing short of extraordinary, for Toland found that he saw history as a play, with narrative structure and drama, not as a dry series of dates and names.
The result was a series of landmark works such as
Infamy, the Rising Sun, which won him the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1970 and reflected his ability, with the help of his Japanese wife, to open doors normally closed to Westerners in Japan;
In Mortal Combat; The Last 100 Days; and his best-selling biography of Adolf Hitler.
Captured by History is not only the summation of a lifetime of groundbreaking works, but the story of a man who through his historical investigations became a witness to many of the most catastrophic events of the twentieth century. A self-effacing man in person, Toland nonetheless comes across as having had a life as fascinating as the lives of the many historical figures he has interviewed. Written by one of our last witnesses to the terrible and deracinating conflicts that split the world asunder at mid-century,
Captured by History is an astonishing personal story of a hugely inquisitive man who became a historian not by accident or design, but by fate; a man who succeeded in chronicling the most tumultuous events of our century.
Customer Reviews:
Lest We Forget.......2003-12-07
This book was first published in 1997 by author John Toland who wrote it at age 84 as his autobiography. I located a copy recently and began reading a very interesting almost year by year description of this man's controversial and never dull life.
The first one hundred pages feature a lengthy portrait of a young man growing up in the twenties and thirties with little money, a thirst for learning and adventure (he enjoyed summers as a hobo riding the rails across America) and dreams of becoming a writer of novels and plays. I had never heard of John Toland and was beginning to dislike him a little, especially after he shares his experiences as an enlisted man in the army and appears to be rather boastful. He never sees combat. He is in the entertainment division and directs shows for the soldiers at American training camps. He did, however, apply for and received officer's training. I realize now he simply made the most of the jobs he was given.
Eventually, I came to admire him as he was always ambitious, took advantage of opportunities, and began to write non fiction beginning with a book entitled Ships In The Sky, about dirigibles. Suddenly he realized he could use his writing talent as a historian and thus began, in his forties, to give us the real deal, based on extensive research with real people, of what the world was like during the thirties and forties and beyond.
The remainder of the book deals with his research and interviews with each of his books of historical non fiction and I felt as if I were reading The History Channel ! His second wife, Toshiko, is to be admired for her loyalty and dedication to her husband. She transcribed, typed, encouraged and was with him all the way as he tells us about The Battle of the Bulge, The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Empire, Adolph Hitler, the Last 100 days of World War II, and many others. He even writes a book about John Dillinger and his criminal life in America. In fact he was so eager to write that he looked forward to a next book immediately after completing one.
There is a difference in this author. He interviewed literally hundreds of people on both "sides" of his subject. He doesn't insert his "self" but lets the person, be it Adolph Hitler's relative, Tito's wife, or a German general, tell their story from their viewpoint. After reading this book, I now want to read other books by this author. He doesn't insert his own judgments. His chapters on each of his books are not boring at all but rather eye-opening. If truth is stranger than fiction, here it is.
This is not a book one picks up and reads straight thru. In fact, much of it is depressing. What a waste World War 2 was. What a loss of life. why? Can this generation make similar mistakes? Questions, questions. This is thought provoking material.
I recommend this book for readers who love good autobiographies. Since John Toland kept meticulous records, tapes of interviews, had excellent organization with his notes, and just lets the facts speak for themselves, I feel as if I have read an honest book about a troubled time in world history. I also deeply appreciated his "clean" writing. He doesn't resort to offensive language. I feel he deserved the pulitzer prize and other awards he rightly received for his informative books.
Fascinating Look At One Of The Century's Most Famous Authors.......2000-06-29
From his humble origins to his current status as an elder statesman of contemporary historians, any student of life and history has to stand in awe of John Toland's life and accomplishments. Here is the incredibly interesting story of a self-made man, someone who rose to the top based on native ability, sheer guts and talent, and who admits to having had the fates shine their collective everlasting lights on him. "Captured By History" is a very entertaining and quite fascinating book!
No one would have suspected that this quiet and unassuming boy would turn out to be one of the best-loved and widely read popular historians of the century; Toland has little or no formal training as a historian. In this autobiographical journey he evolves from being an amateur writer fortunate enough to graduate in the depths of the Depression from Williams College, a small but exclusive college in western Massachusetts to a vagabond lifestyle of riding the rails during the Depression and attempting to start a life as a professional playwright.
But the intervention of fate in the way of World War two and his experiences led to him to attempt to tell the stories of the men and women he had served with, and as a result he became one of several outstanding popular historians like William Shirer and Cornelius Ryan who enjoyed the wide readership and popular support for thirty or forty years after the war. Toland wrote about aspects of the war after painstaking research on each subject, spending years traveling, interviewing, and documenting before finally writing a particular book. And the books sold, from "Infamy" to "Rising Sun" to "The Last Hundred Days" to "battle" to his phenomenal best seller, "Adolph Hitler".
Toland's style was always unorthodox to most historians, since he did not attempt to make his own 'objectively based' judgments of what had happened in any particular set of historical circumstances, but rather would exhaustively interviewed eye-witnesses and actual participants of events and let them tell the story in their own words, with him acting brilliantly as an integrating narrator to string the story together as non-judgmentally as possible. He trusted the reader's native intelligence and ability to screen out the garbage from the flowers of the truth, and evidently the readers loved the approach, for he was phenomenally successful in his long and distinguished writing career.
This, therefore, is an unusual chronicle of a most singular life spent in fascinating obsession by a rather unorthodox and quite different sort of person. Yet the spellbinding stories revealed here about everyone from Adolph Hitler to the Emperor of Japan make this a spellbinding experience to read, and an objective lesson as to how a person with determination, some native talent and a lot of gumption can come to fashion and hew a life of his own making in his own terms. This is a great book for the lover of biographies and for anyone titillated by an endless scurry of inside stories about the people who made the history of the 20th century what it is.
Fascinating Look At One Of The Century's Most Famous Authors.......2000-06-29
From his humble origins to his current status as an elder statesman of contemporary historians, any student of life and history has to stand in awe of John Toland's life and accomplishments. Here is the incredibly interesting story of a self-made man, someone who rose to the top based on native ability, sheer guts and talent, and who admits to having had the fates shine their collective everlasting lights on him. "Captured By History" is a very entertaining and quite fascinating book!
No one would have suspected that this quiet and unassuming boy would turn out to be one of the best-loved and widely read popular historians of the century; Toland has little or no formal training as a historian. In this autobiographical journey he evolves from being an amateur writer fortunate enough to graduate in the depths of the Depression from Williams College, a small but exclusive college in western Massachusetts to a vagabond lifestyle of riding the rails during the Depression and attempting to start a life as a professional playwright.
But the intervention of fate in the way of World War two and his experiences led to him to attempt to tell the stories of the men and women he had served with, and as a result he became one of several outstanding popular historians like William Shirer and Cornelius Ryan who enjoyed the wide readership and popular support for thirty or forty years after the war. Toland wrote about aspects of the war after painstaking research on each subject, spending years traveling, interviewing, and documenting before finally writing a particular book. And the books sold, from "Infamy" to "Rising Sun" to "The Last Hundred Days" to "battle" to his phenomenal best seller, "Adolph Hitler".
Toland's style was always unorthodox to most historians, since he did not attempt to make his own 'objectively based' judgments of what had happened in any particular set of historical circumstances, but rather would exhaustively interviewed eye-witnesses and actual participants of events and let them tell the story in their own words, with him acting brilliantly as an integrating narrator to string the story together as non-judgmentally as possible. He trusted the reader's native intelligence and ability to screen out the garbage from the flowers of the truth, and evidently the readers loved the approach, for he was phenomenally successful in his long and distinguished writing career.
This, therefore, is an unusual chronicle of a most singular life spent in fascinating obsession by a rather unorthodox and quite different sort of person. Yet the spellbinding stories revealed here about everyone from Adolph Hitler to the Emperor of Japan make this a spellbinding experience to read, and an objective lesson as to how a person with determination, some native talent and a lot of gumption can come to fashion and hew a life of his own making in his own terms. This is a great book for the lover of biographies and for anyone titillated by an endless scurry of inside stories about the people who made the history of the 20th century what it is.
A behind the scenes look at the writing of great history.......1999-02-11
Recently I found "The Rising Sun" in a used book store. After reading it, I was hooked on John Toland. So I started "In Mortal Combat" and found it so compelling I read it even while brushing my teeth.
As a John Toland fan, I was especially interested in "Captured by History," because he tells how he wrote the other books--how he found the close friends of Adolph Hitler, how he persuaded the key Japanese to tell, for the first time, the roles they played in World War Two.
John Toland's book is valuable for writers, because it contains lessons in interviewing and organizing.
It is an inspiration for anyone struggling to achieve a goal. Do you ever feel like a failure? Well, Toland, one of the greatest historic writers of this century, was a "failure" most of his life. It wasn't until his late 40's that he achieved success as a writer. Toshiko, his wife, reminded him that his years of failure were merely stepping stones toward later success.
John Toland spent a life-time interviewing historic figures of the 20th century. Yet as "Captured by History" reveals, the unobtrusive Toland is, himself, a figure of history.
History As Anti-Climax.......1997-10-08
Let me begin by saying that John Toland is my favorite historian. His book, "But Not In Shame" is my favorite work of history--I have read it several times. His other books are also favorites of mine. That said, his new book of remembrances is a rambling re-hash(with one or two exceptions)of what he has already done. The only time he really made the effort was in describing his youth--which frankly became tedious reading. Anyway, Mr. Toland does not hit the mark, as Ted White did in his "In Search of History." However, He has done so many wonderful works, that I did get through this one.
Book Description
Full reprint of 1762 style book with 200 plates plus 24 photos.
Customer Reviews:
The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker's director.......2007-06-12
Book is well illustrated, with lots of good information on period furniture.
Gentleman and Cabinet Maker Director.......2005-08-03
Excellent service and book as good as or better than originally thought to be. Would definitely order from them again.
Don't be intimidated.......2003-01-09
This book is a classic and all the other reviews are right-on. If you're interested in woodworking--especially creating antique reproduction designs buy this book. It's cheap. Now if you're a woodworking novice, you'll likely be intimidated at the design detail saying "how can anyone ever carve that!" and you'll be tempted to throw it on the shelf and forget it. That's OK. If you keep doing woodworking, you'll find yourself coming back to look at Chippendale. You'll go to antique shows and museums and see the real thing and eventually gain the confidence to give it a try. The book is inspiring in its design. You should own it if you're interested in finewoodworking because over the years, your comfort with it will be a measure of your own woodworking maturity.
The book that made Chippendale famous........1998-11-16
The ball and claw foot is perhaps the one thing most commonly associated with Chippendale, but it is omitted entirely since it had gone out of fashion by the time he wrote the book. Instead, he includes Rococo, Chinese, and Gothic designs. The Rococo designs are extremely heavily ornamented, and fashioned in the most outlandish curved shapes: if you ever thought Pablo Picasso and "modern art" was too far out, take a look at these! The ribbon back chairs struck me as a particularly interesting design. The Chinese designs are far more subdued, and most have a bit of a swastika motif built into them. The editor for the modern version has added an appendix with several photographs of original Chippendale era furniture (not necessarily built by Chippendale himself), including several chosen to show that it really was possible to build the more elaborate designs. This is perhaps the single most historically significant book on furniture design ever written, and no furniture library would be complete without it.
large, catalog style of baroque & neo-classical design.......1998-04-30
This large catalog style paper back book is an excellent reference for architecture, furniture and design. Black drawing on newsprint paper, this book was a catalog of Thomas Chippendale's furniture shop in England and gives detailed motifs for the antique dealer and cabinet maker alike.
Book Description
For the true aficionado, nothing’s more exciting than a one-of-a-kind, beautiful bead—be it a flameworked glass orb or a glistening cut gemstone. But what can the obsessed beader do with all those amazing collectables that never fail to catch the eye? They can make these 30 spectacular pieces of jewelry, all dedicated to showcasing the most exquisite beads available! Even newcomers can achieve success, thanks to a thorough basics section with enough hand-holding for the most intimidated beginner. The instructions cover it all, from fashioning a simple ear wire to enlarging the bead’s hole. Create a lariat with one large, stunning bead on each end. Coil silver wire around a purchased chain, and add carved wooden beads. Loop candy-colored resin beads onto stretchy elastic cords for bold, slip-on bangles. They’re fun to make and to wear!
A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.
Customer Reviews:
Not really what I was looking for but OK if that is what you like..........2007-07-16
Spends the first 30 pages going over the basics which most people would already know before buying this book. Then a few more pages talking about bead artists. For me, this was a waste of 30+ pages. For other people, it may not be which is why I rated it at least a 3. Once they do get into the designs, which I can only say simply that some are downright ugly, they are for more extravagant bead design wearers. Nothing I would wear out in public. Sorry, but this book wasn't that great for me...maybe someone else.
Book Description
From home décor to wardrobe, beads literally enhance the very fabric of life! Big Book of Beautiful Beads incorporates the expertise of four exquisite beading books -- Quick & Easy Beaded Jewelry, Beaded Adornment, The Complete Guide to Beading Techniques and French-Beaded Flowers: New Millennium Collection -- to offer beaders the ultimate guide to beading.
More than 150 projects such as beaded earrings and necklaces, handbags and floral arrangements are covered in step-by-step detail and demonstrated in 400+ beautiful color photos and illustrations. As part of elaborate gifts for friends or as a means to adding character to current home furnishings, this reference gives beaders more ideas and more expertise than any other beading resource.
-Contains 150+ beading project to enhance the home and wardrobe
-Features more than 400 detailed color photos and illustrations for easy reference by beaders
-Includes a checklist format of necessary tools and supplies to assist beaders in planning and completing projects
Customer Reviews:
THE only beading book you'll ever need.......2006-12-19
This book is actually a compillation of four books, as listed in the description, and among the four of them, you're sure to find the technique you're looking for.
The Complete Guide to Beading Techniques is probably the most comprehensive reference in the book. It includes instructions on various forms of beadweaving (peyote, brick, herringbone, netting, right-angle weave); bead embroidery; bead tetting, knitting, and crochet; wirework; and stringing. A few patterns are included for each technique, including a little sample. There are no instructions on the basics of crochet, knitting, or tatting, but those can be found elsewhere. The directions are clearly illustrated, and it's easy to figure out each technique. The book also includes invaluable information on various beading supplies, as well as beading tips. My biggest complaint is that there were many beautiful-looking beaded items in the book, but no directions to make them!
Quick & Easy Beaded Jewelry was really not my taste, but does provide beginners with some projects to get their feet wet. Personally, I found the pieces in there to be sloppy-looking, but they do teach you the basics.
Beaded Adornment is also not really my taste, but the pieces sure are stunning. This book deals mostly with beading cabochons, fringeing, and peyote/brick weaving.
French-Beaded Flowers: New Millennium Collection is a wonderful collection of instructions for making beaded flowers. They look gorgeous, and the directions seem pretty clear.
Overall, this is a GREAT volume, especially at its price. You really won't need another reference book if you have this one.
Book Description
Reprint of fascinating 1912 publication features all the winning entries from a major nationwide competition for bungalow designs — from a tile-roofed hacienda to an elaborate thatch-roofed English cottage. 100 superbly rendered plates show houses in perspective, with floor plans, itemized construction costs, and some landscape planning.
Average customer rating:
- don't bother
- I found just what I was looking for in this book!
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Enjoy Your Middle Schooler
Wayne Rice
Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Understanding Your Teenager
Accessories:
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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer
ASIN: 0310405815 |
Book Description
This book details the physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual changes the middle schooler goes through and gives parents tips on how to deal with these changes.
Customer Reviews:
don't bother.......2002-11-13
This book was sappy and silly. I found it inane, useless and irritating. Don't waste your time and money. If you really want a good book about dealing with middle school kids, try this: The Roller Coaster Years, by Giannetti and Sagarese.
I found just what I was looking for in this book!.......2000-01-03
I was stressed when my 10 1/2 year old started in the the next stage of (pre)teenager. I did not have a real enjoyable time my self at that age. This book really helps a parent to relate and be reminded of what they are going through at that age. As a parent I am now able to see her for the stage she is going through, and be more compasionate, and not reactive. This book is very helpful. I've tried to get advice from other parents on this stage and they trivialize it, and just say, you haven't seen nothing yet! This gives alot of encoragement to parents where this stage is a new ball game to us. Thank you so much!
Average customer rating:
|
Enjoy Your Middle Schooler
Wayne Rice
Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Rice, Wayne
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ASIN: B000OT0PB6 |
Average customer rating:
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Ahhhh! A Tribute to Brother Blue & Ruth Edmonds Hill
Manufacturer: Yellow Moon Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0938756672 |
Book Description
They are unforgettable, this bedecked, scat-speaking storyspinner and his quiet constant companion. They make a strong first impression. But who are Brother Blue and Ruth Edmonds Hill? Through the words of those closest to them and whose works and worldviews they have profoundly affected comes a portrait of Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill (Brother Blue) and Ruth Edmonds Hill. It is a portrait of awe-inspiring commitment to the simple idea that telling and hearing each other?s stories profoundly changes the world. And it is a picture of an extra-ordinary marriage, a bond of love that radiates out to embrace us all. Ruth Edmonds Hill, Blue?s forever muse, is a distinguished scholar with degrees from U. Mass. and Simmons College. She is the Oral History Coordinator at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University.
Overcoming the poverty and racism of his youth, Hugh Hill triumphed in the world of academia receiving his undergraduate degree from Harvard College, then going on to the Yale School of Drama (MFA) and Union Graduate School (PhD). A military officer, a budding playwright and actor, an ordained minister, Hugh Hill heard a different calling. His metamorphosis into Brother Blue created something new and miraculous. Before storytelling was recognized as an art, Brother Blue brought together the improvisation of jazz, the word-magic of poetry, gesture and dance to create stories that speak from soul to soul. Then, clothed in butterflies, he took the path of the holy fool, taking his tales where they are most needed. On the streets and on stages, in pulpits and prisons, Brother Blue lives his art, risks it all, gives it all, to awaken sleepers and heal this broken world.
Average customer rating:
- "IN HELL ONE PRAYS BETTER THAN IN PARADISE"
- A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BOOK
- An amazingly written book on a fascinating subject
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Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters
Elie Wiesel
Manufacturer: Jason Aronson
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ASIN: 0876682557 |
Customer Reviews:
"IN HELL ONE PRAYS BETTER THAN IN PARADISE".......2001-01-11
Elie Wiesel describes himself as neither philosopher nor historian but "merely" as a "storyteller who transmits what was given to him, as faithfully as possible, yet lending it his own voice and intonation." He does exactly that in SOULS ON FIRE: HASIDIC PORTRAITS AND LEGENDS.
Before reading this book, I only knew what little of Hasidism one can absorb from watching the Habad Lubavitch funding appeals on Public Television and from casual reading of such novels as Potok's THE CHOSEN.I did know that dancing played a part in Hasidic prayer, but hadn't a clue as to why. SOULS ON FIRE didn't make an instant Hasidic expert out of me, but it did give me a feeling for the history and traditions of a movement that, in the years of the holocaust, played a major, if indirect, part in the preservation of Eastern European Jewry and its culture. (It made reference to the dancing, too.)
The modern Hasidic movement seems to have started with the Baal Shem Tov (1700 - 1760). (Baal Shem Tov translates as Master of the Name.) Passed from the Baal Shhem Tov through succeeding generations of disciples, some of whom also became Masters, or Rebbes, in their own generations, the movement survived, and even thrived in a much less than friendly environment. Eventually it had spread to three geographical areas; the Ukraine, White Russia, and Poland. In each area there were individual Rebbes who taught their own brand of Hasidism and who had their own fervent followers.
Since Wiesel's approach to his subject is to let the various tales and parables of the Rebbes speak for themselves, it's my intention, in this review, to do the same but on a very limited scale. A few comments follow:
Baal Shem Tov: "Whoever loves God exclusively . . . . excluding man, reduces his love and his God to an abstraction."
Wiesel's Grandfather, a Hasid, but not a Rebbe: "To induce others to believe is easier than to believe."
Menachim-Mendl of Kotsk: "In Hell one prays better than in Paradise."
Rebbe Bunham of the School of Pshiskhe: "I think that I could reform any sinner - except a liar . . . . and the worst liar is one who lies to himself."
One complete tale which evidently is meant for God's ears and which reflects on man's seemingly futile wait for the Messiah:
This is also from Rebbe Bunham: A king, wanting to punish his son, sends him into exile in a distant land. The prince, suffering from hunger and cold, waits to be recalled. As years go by, he loses the very strength needed to wait for the royal pardon. Finally, many years later, the king sends an emissary with full powers to grant the prince every desire and wish. In response, the prince asks for a piece of bread and a warm coat, nothing else. He has forgotten that he is a prince and that he could return to his father's kingdom.
Some of the more pessimistic Rebbes seemed to feel that God had to be reminded of his responsibilities to man, and so reminded him through their tales and parables.
Wiesel tells us that Hasidism was born in and survived eras of fear, hunger, and persecution. He hints, through references to his own incarceration, along with most Eastern European Jews, in the Nazi Concentration Camps, that Hasidism, bred in times of anguish, had the strength to survive the hardest test of all, the murder of most of its adherents.
Very little in SOULS ON FIRE can be read in a literal sense. To get the full impact of the book it is necessary to suspend reliance on reality in favor of imagination and perhaps a touch of compassion.
A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BOOK.......2000-05-05
The subject is inspiring and the text is prose at its most elegant.
An amazingly written book on a fascinating subject.......1999-04-25
In this fascinating book, Ellie Weisel gives a personalized history of Hasidism. Using his own memories and insights, plus whatever tales and legends he finds most interesting, he takes us through Hasidism from its beginning through a lot of the Hasidic masters. The subject is interesting by itself, especially since many of the legends are profound or funny, and Mr. Weisel's wonderful writing style is the perfect vehicle for it. Buy and read this book!
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