Book Description
The long-awaited final volume of Chalmers Johnson’s bestselling
Blowback trilogy confronts the overreaching of the American empire and the threat it poses to the republic
In his prophetic book Blowback, Chalmers Johnson linked the CIA’s clandestine activities abroad to disaster at home. In The Sorrows of Empire, he explored the ways in which the growth of American militarism and the garrisoning of the planet have jeopardized our stability. Now, in Nemesis, he shows how imperial overstretch is undermining the republic itself, both economically and politically.
Delving into new areas—from plans to militarize outer space to Constitution-breaking presidential activities at home and the devastating corruption of a toothless Congress—Nemesis offers a striking description of the trap into which the dreams of America’s leaders have taken us. Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail just what the unintended consequences of our dependence on a permanent war economy are likely to be. What does it mean when a nation’s main intelligence organization becomes the president’s secret army? Or when the globe’s sole “hyperpower,” no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders, becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all times?
In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that financial bankruptcy could herald the breakdown of constitutional government in America—a crisis that may ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
Customer Reviews:
Crossing the Rubicon.......2007-09-08
This book answers Michael Moore's question, "Where's my country?" The author's scholarly and carefully reasoned answer is that the constitutional republic we once had has evolved into an empire. Johnson traces the rise of militarism, the hidden and often ill-conceived interventions of the CIA and the devastating "blowback" from them, and the enormous power the United States projects through its hundreds of overseas military bases, as well as our plans to militarize space.
I found that the book explained many events that are extremely puzzling if one continues to believe that the United States is a high-minded democracy, but make perfect sense from the point of view of empire.
Johnson's conlusion, that we are on the cusp of a choice between the path taken by Rome into empire and dictatorship vs. that chosen by Great Britain to dissolve its empire but preserve its democracy, was compelling and sobering.
I would recommend Nemesis to anyone, regardless of political slant, who seriously wants to make sense of the role the United States plays in the world today, and the world's reaction to it.
On the brink of a military dictatorship.......2007-08-12
Chalmers Johnson is deeply pessimistic about the future of the US and its citizens. He sees at the horizon `a collapse of constitutional government, perpetual war, endemic official lying and disinformation and finally bankruptcy. We are at the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire.'
For him, the heart of the matter is `military Keynesianism' (the US economy is mightily based on weapon manufacturing) and the goal of the military-intelligence community (full spectrum dominance over the world and in space).
But this imperial adventure is far too costly. The US spends more on armed forces than all other nations on earth combined, for more than 737 military bases in more than 130 countries. Also, space weapons are pure waste. A space shield doesn't work, because weapons cannot make a distinction between warheads and free floating space debris. `The neoconservative lobbyists are only interested in the staggering sums required.'
The US enormous military budget (of which 40 % is secret) is not paid by US taxpayers, but by foreign investors in US debt.
In the meantime, democracy is undermined. Chalmers Johnson doesn't see `any president or Congress standing up to the powerful vested interests of the Pentagon, the secret intelligence agencies and the military-industrial complex.' The separation of powers is becoming a dead letter. The legislative and the judicial branches have lost their independence.
The author is extremely hard for the current government, calling members of the Administration `desk-murderers'. For him, `putting the ruler above the law is the very definition of dictatorship.' Its TIA (Total Information Awareness) program `is the perfect US computer version of Gestapo and KGB files.' He is extremely angry with the US media, calling them `Pravda-like mouthpieces of the powerful.'
For him, what Congress really should do is abolish the CIA and remove all purely military functions from the Pentagon.
This hard-hitting book is more than a very solid warning. It is a must read for all those interested in the future of mankind.
For a view from the South, I highly recommend `Dilemmas of Domination' by Walden Bello.
Mandatory Foreign Policy Reading.......2007-07-28
If you want to read an unvarnished assessment of America's foreign policy by a scholar and former insider this book will more than suffice. Johnson evaluates the military-industrial complex, foreign policy tactics, and the imperialistic tendencies of contemporary America and how they are all contributing to our very real ongoing downfall. Johnson is not afraid to prove how our own covert and overt policies have contributed to the war and terror that plague our nation.
Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson.......2007-07-18
All who are interested in the Bush-inspired quagmire that we are in today should read this to understand the psychology and sociology that historically has led to the end of a society. There are some implications and assumptions that are made to compare past "empires" and some political and economic sections are a bit esoteric, but overall it's quite intriguing. If you think this is for you make sure you read "Blowback" before "Nemesis" which was the first of Johnson's trilogy.
Nemesis--an indispensible education.......2007-07-12
Nemesis is the last book in a trilogy. I have read them all and believe I am much more aware of what is really going on in our country. The negative way the world sees us finally makes sense. Chalmers Johnson has done an enormous amount of research and explains the issues in a clear and interesting manner. I've had trouble putting the books down.
Book Description
A longtime investigative journalist uncovers one of the great untold stories of twentieth–century international intrigue, and the secrets it has held 㟵ntil now.
Shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and Bobby Kennedy, two of the world's richest and most powerful men, disliked one another from the moment they first met. Over several decades, their intense mutual hatred only grew, as did their desire to compete for the affections of Jackie, the keeper of the Camelot flame.
Now, this shocking work by seasoned investigative journalist Peter Evans reveals the culmination of the Kennedy–Onassis–Kennedy love triangle: Onassis was at the heart of the plot to kill Bobby Kennedy. Nemesis meticulously traces Onassis's trail – his connections, the way that he financed the assassination – and includes a confession kept secret for three decades. With its deeply nuanced portraits of the major figures and events that shaped an era, Nemesis is a work that will not soon be forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
You won't be disappointed...........2007-06-25
Fans of Callas, Onassis, & Kennedy(s) should embrace this book a.s.a.p. Peter Evans does a wonderful job. What an extraordinary story that is told. I couldn't put this book down for several weeks. Even after I've finished it, it inspires re-reading. Highly recommended!!
Confusing.......2007-06-09
I thought that this book would be interesting to me because I like the Kennedy family and am interested in conspiracy theories, but I was wrong. This book is pretty good, but it is really confusing with so many people involved that sometimes it is hard to keep straight who this person is and what they did.
Rumors and Questions Answered.......2007-03-24
Those who find a conspiracy in every world event will be satisfied with the well-researched and well-written account of the possible involvement of Aristotle Onassis in the assassination of Robert Kennedy. As to the oft-asked question as to why Jacqueline Kennedy would want to marry the Greek tycoon, it is answered with a new understanding of the greed and lust that drove these compelling personalities. The narrative fairly jumps from the pages of this very fast read. Even the footnotes are fascinating.
Whoa!.......2006-05-04
What a fascinating, very well written book! It seemed every page had a juicy morsel or two and really opened my eyes into what was really going on during the last months of John Kennedy's life and why Jackie married Aristotle Onassis. As a teenager, I was shocked she'd married someone who obviously wasn't a friend of the United States. But Peter Evans portrays Onassis as someone so fascinating, even desirable in his "bulldog" approach to women, maybe money wasn't the only reason. Then again, once you read this book your whole image of "Camelot" and the "Holy Widow" will never be the same.
Review for Seller.......2006-01-15
The book came quickly and in exactly the condition stated: like brand new. Will definitely look this seller up again next time I'm shopping for books.
Book Description
The hideously disfigured body of Lucius Licinius was found in the atrium. The only clues are a blood-soaked cloak, and, carved into the stone at the corpse's feet, the word Sparta....For Gordianus the Finder, summoned from Rome to a luxury resort on the Bay of Naples, the case is agonizing. The overseer of Marcus Crassus's estate has been murdered, apparently by two slaves bent on joining Spartacus's revolt. The wealthy, powerful Crassus vows to honor an ancient law and kill his ninety-nine remaining slaves in retaliation. From the brutal stench of a slave galley to the limpid, sea-glazed beauty of Baiae and the sulphurous pits of the Sybil at Cumae, Giordanus draws closer to the terrifying truth. Enmeshed in a world of desperate slaves and duplicitous masters, extravagant feasts and sordid secrets, he must risk all he loves, including his life, to stop a senseless slaughter-and save the very future of Rome itself.AUTHORBIO: STEVEN SAYLOR is the author of eight books in the Roma Sub Rosa featuring Gordianus the Finder, most recently Roman Blood.He divides his time between homes in Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, California.
Customer Reviews:
The Second Book in the Roma Sub Rosa series.......2006-12-18
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began in his childhood. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. His series of books about Ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder are extremely popular both here in England and also in America. Anyone who is a fan of Lindsey Davis will love these books too.
Gordianus the Finder, the investigator of crimes, a man whose skill and integrity have made him much sought after by some of the most important men in Rome. Men who may need a secret to be kept, men who need to know that when Gordianus is working for them he will be discreet and not susceptible to bribery.
Marcus Crassus is the wealthiest man in Rome. Apart from all his property and businesses in Rome he has a fine villa in the Gulf of Puteoli. When his estate manager is found murdered it seems pretty obvious to the great man that the deed was done by two of his missing slaves. A renegade gladiator called Spartacus is mounting a rebellion and two of Crassus's slaves are missing, probably run off to join the Slave Revolt.
Crassus vows that unless the missing slaves are found within 5 days he will massacre his remaining slave. It falls to Gordianus to find out the truth of the matter and in a place riddled with intrigue and secrets Gordianus realises that all is not as it seems and the deeper he delves the more danger he is bringing upon himself.
Gordianus the Finder is back!.......2006-10-12
This second entry in the Gordianus the Finder series is another strong one, although not quite as excellent as Roman Blood was. In this book, Grodianus and his adopted son Eco are summoned in the middle of the night to help a citizen who lived on the seashore, so they take a fast boat to Baiae where a hideous slaughter of slaves is going to occur in three days unless Gordianus can unmask the real killer of the Baiae prominent citizen. The book is definitely graphic, and depicts life as it was in Italy in 72 B.C. The setting is actually ten years later than when we last saw Gordianus in Roman Blood, but he is still as wonderful as ever. He still stops at nothing to get at the truth of things, no matter who it hurts or affects. This is truly fascinating storytelling, and Saylor makes Ancient Rome come alive.
Another strong entry in the series.......2006-04-26
I have enjoyed several of Saylor's previous novels centered around Gordianus the Finder. Each of the novels is essentially a criminal procedural set in Rome in the century before the birth of Christ. The protagonist is a detective for hire, Gordianus the Finder (delicious name). Usually employed by a Roman personality whose name has carried through the ages to our day, Gordianus steadily unravels the facts as each of the novels builds towards a relatively satisfying conclusion. The challenges faced and facts to be uncovered are set up competently, but the true pleasure in the reading is the skill with which the author places them in a historical universe that rings true, and in the manner in which that universe impacts the situation.
In this novel, Gordianus is roused in the middle of the night by a mysterious stranger with a military air who bids him to come perform a service outside of Rome for a monumental sum. Our protagonist, ever stuck in a middle class purgatory when it comes to his expenses versus his income, and piqued by curiosity, accepts, and from there the story moves forward steadily.
Part of the pleasure of the novel is the multi-layered mystery - who hired him, what happened, why what happened is of such consequence, and so on. The actual doer of the deed is much less important than the impact and consequences of that deed, and Saylor sets up his storyline with aplomb along these lines. Thus, much as I'd like to further reveal the plot, it would be cheating the reader of the review to do so, and so I'll refrain.
Further pleasure is derived from the verisimilitude of the lives of the Romans in those days - the food, the behavior, the social hierarchies, etc.. The story moves along steadily but without undo haste, and will appeal more to those who enjoy description and implication rather than speed of plot. If I have any real criticism, it is that, given that the identity of the evil doer is so secondary to the impact of his deeds, the author makes short shrift of the ultimate revelation, and in fact (as far as I could tell) there isn't much out there for the reader to proactively discern the antagonist, nor, frankly, to care much about the fact that it was the particular person named. While this is a valid criticism, it is clear that this was exactly the author's intent, which somewhat mitigates things.
An enjoyable period piece, rife with interesting insights on Roman society, and one of the author's better efforts.
Gordianus visits the seashore.......2006-02-15
This second entry in the ROMA SUB ROSA series opens as Gordianus is woken in the middle of the night by a mysterious summons to an undisclosed location to solve a crime and save scores of innocent people. Despite the apprehensions of his slave (and lover) Bethesda, Gordianus and his adopted son Eco, are soon on their way. Gordianus of course quickly surmises their destination as Baiae, a wealthy town on the present day Bay of Naples.
Once he arrives he discovers that the crime is, as he had surmised, murder and murder of a wealthy man. The chief suspects are two missing slaves which is why scores of lives are in danger. According to ancient Roman law if a master is killed by a slave all the slaves in the household, in this case 99, are deemed dangerous and sentenced to death. This law is not often enforced but in the present day (72 BC), there is a slave revolt, led by Spartacus, in progress that is threatening the Empire. Is it just fear of the slaves joining the rebellion that is causing this harsh measure to be used or is it something else?
Gordianus and Eco are quickly immersed in the victim's household and find that there are many things that are not quite what they seem. The trail to solve the crime leads the two to the Sybil, into the sea and to the very Gates of Hades. Old scandals and illicit love affairs are uncovered. Ultimately Gordianus of course triumphs but not without many interesting twists and turns along the way.
As with ROMAN BLOOD, Saylor immerses the reader into the world of ancient Rome. The reader is made to see how uncertain live in the ancient world was, for example, Gordianus travels just a short way from his home but to his family he may as well have fallen off the face of the earth. We also see into the lives of the slaves, from the quasi equal status of Bethesda to the brutal existence of the galley slaves. Even among the upper classes live is very much a matter of chance and must be conducted within very proscribed limits. This series of novels breaths live into Roman life in a more effective manner than a score of serious scholarly works could.
The mystery is compeling, well plotted with the clues fairly laid out for the reader to follow. The only problem I had with this one is that some of the characters were rather sketchily drawn and there were so many characters and subplots that it was challenging to keep everything straight.
My HBO Rome withdrawal.......2005-11-26
Wanting to be transported back to Rome, I found this author through Amazon reviewers and I was not disappointed. While this is a few years earlier than the series, and a few miles south of Rome, it did the trick.
The mystery held my attention, but, the characters and the decriptions of the various settings make the book.
I will read more Saylor.
PS - one month later. I've read more Saylor. This one stands out for its perspective on slavery in ancient Rome and the very wealthy Crassus and his life style. For more on the justice system and the Clodii Family read "The Venus Throw". "Rubicon" gives a plausible description of Rome right after of Caesar's crossing and Pompey's flight from Italy.
It appears that each Saylor mystery weaves a good story around people or themes of Rome.
Average customer rating:
- S.D. Perry Does it Again!
- Awesome!
- Another Masterpiece for S.D. Perry!!!
- "Nemesis" A Friendly Read
- gives the game life
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Nemesis (Resident Evil #5)
S.D. Perry
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Code: Veronica (Resident Evil #6)
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Underworld (Resident Evil #4)
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City of the Dead (Resident Evil #3)
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The Umbrella Conspiracy (Resident Evil #1)
ASIN: 067178496X
Release Date: 2000-10-03 |
Book Description
Zombies. Mutant animals. Bioengineered weapons and surgically enhanced monsters. Secret labs and widespread conspiracies. It seemed impossible, but Kill Valentine and her teammates among the S.T.A.R.S. had seen it all firsthand when the Umbrella Corporation turned Raccoon City into a staging ground for the most insidious genetic experiments ever conceived. After all she's been through, Valentine is ready to leave that remote mountain community forever.
But Umbrella isn't finished with Raccoon City.
Too much evidence of their unethical and immoral research still exists. It must be recovered or destroyed -- and quickly -- before it can be traced back to Umbrella. And with William Birkin's mutagenic virus already spreading through the city like wildfire, drastic measures are needed. Under cover of night, mercenary teams have entered the city, along with something else -- Umbrella's failsafe: an evolved version of its Tyrant-class killing machines, a lethal creature code-named Nemesis. Now Nemesis is on the hunt. And Jill Valentine is about to become prey.
Customer Reviews:
S.D. Perry Does it Again!.......2006-08-11
Yet another great game->book translation by S.D. Perry. If you've enjoyed the other RE books you'll love this one as well.
Awesome!.......2006-06-09
This book was great even though it did not follow the game, exactly. nemesis was sweet in the book aswas really well written and kept he should be. This book my intrest from page one.
Another Masterpiece for S.D. Perry!!!.......2006-03-06
I really liked this book better than Caliban Cove or Zero Hour. This book introduces you to two new charaters Carlos Oliveira and Nicolai Ginovaef. The book starts with Carlos getting a call from his squad leader about going on a umbrella operation. Umbrella labeled it a chemical spill.Yeah right!!While Carlos is walking towards the Umbrella office to get briefed on the operation he meets the mysterious Mr. Trent who gives him some important information. Also Jill Valentine an X-S.T.A.R.S member is trying to get out of Raccoon. This book had some similarities to the Resident Evil Apocalypse movie which I also liked. The best part I think was the tidbit of information about Mr. Trent at the end. You find out what his motivation is for destroying Umbrella. All in all I rank it with The Umbrella Conspiracy and City of the dead two other S.D. Perry masterpieces. Well I have one more book to read Code: Veronica and I will be done with the series. I am feeling kinda of sad because these books were so good and I don't know what will take it's place.
"Nemesis" A Friendly Read.......2005-12-18
Once again, Racoon City is awash with zombies, mutants, bioengineered badies and surgically enhanced nasties. 'Nemesis', though the fifth book in the series, is never short for new and unexpected horrors as a courtesy of S. D. Perry's skilled imagination and writing style. It seems with Umbrella at the helm and Ms. Perry there to guide their unscrupulous activities in new and horrific directions there is a never ending way for mutagenic virus to wreak havoc. As expected, blood does flow and, as usual, the body count rises rapidily in a repetative but otherwise well paced and evenly told tale.
gives the game life.......2005-10-04
The story is basically based on the third game "Nemesis" of the Resident Evil series which I am a fan of. This is my favorite of all of the RE books. It brings the game story life and I felt it all over again. I just wish they'd do it for "Dino Crisis" as well.
Amazon.com
George VI thought him a "damnable villain," and Neville Chamberlain found him not quite a gentleman; but, to the rest of the world, Adolf Hitler has come to personify modern evil to such an extent that his biographers always have faced an unenviable task. The two more renowned biographies of Hitler--by Joachim C. Fest ( Hitler) and by Alan Bullock ( Hitler: A Study in Tyranny)--painted a picture of individual tyranny which, in the words of A.J.P. Taylor, left Hitler guilty and every other German innocent. Decades of scholarship on German society under the Nazis have made that verdict look dubious; so, the modern biographer of Hitler must account both for his terrible mindset and his charismatic appeal. In the second and final volume of his mammoth biography of Hitler--which covers the climax of Nazi power, the reclamation of German-speaking Europe, and the horrific unfolding of the final solution in Poland and Russia--Ian Kershaw manages to achieve both of these tasks. Continuing where Hitler: Hubris 1889-1936 left off, the epic Hitler: Nemesis 1937-1945 takes the reader from the adulation and hysteria of Hitler's electoral victory in 1936 to the obsessive and remote "bunker" mentality that enveloped the Führer as Operation Barbarossa (the attack on Russia in 1942) proved the beginning of the end. Chilling, yet objective. A definitive work. --Miles Taylor
Book Description
The climax and conclusion of one of the best-selling biographies of our time.
The New Yorker declared the first volume of Ian Kershaw's two-volume masterpiece "as close to definitive as anything we are likely to see," and that promise is fulfilled in this stunning second volume.
As Nemesis opens, Adolf Hitler has achieved absolute power within Germany and triumphed in his first challenge to the European powers. Idolized by large segments of the population and firmly supported by the Nazi regime, Hitler is poised to subjugate Europe. Nine years later, his vaunted war machine destroyed, Allied forces sweeping across Germany, Hitler will end his life with a pistol shot to his head. 48 pages of b/w photographs.
Customer Reviews:
"Working Towards the Fuhrer".......2007-07-22
How could a racial crank with no education rule Germany so effectively for years? If he was an evil genius, Why did he then fail, stupidly leading it into a second war and eventual defeat? Kershaw's answer is the Nazi phrase, "working towards the Fuhrer". When Hitler stated his desires or plans, he didn't have to issue actual detailed commands: he could count on his lieutenants to implement his will in practice.
Thus making Germany's foreign policy (in particular) a copy of his own paranoid, ruthless personality, Hitler won some early victories against opponents used to dealing with "gentlemen" leaders and countries. Also, "working towards the Fuhrer" obscured his personality--that of a crank--behind competent experts. But once he desired the impossible (conquering the USSR) or once his will became increasingly vague and contradictory (during the war), the result was total catastrophic, with Germany willingly starting a war it couldn't possibly win just because the Fuhrer wanted it, with the "bonus" of complete government chaos as numerous competing organizations interpreted Hitler's latest vague speech in a self-serving manner.
Kershaw's history shows in meticulous detail just how "working towards the Fuhrer" worked in practice: how it allowed Hitler to make his personal paranoia and racial hatered Germany's officlal policy, with all that that implies--the holocaust included--which is the main point of writing a new biography of him in the first place. This thesis, while surely it can never be conclusively tested, is a far superior explanation of all that had occured in 1933-1945 than simplistic "Hitler was evil" explanations. Evil he certainly was, but, as Kershaw notes, that explains nothing: numerous evil cranks exist. Why did so many cultured and supposedly humane and sane Germans support him is the interesting question, which Kershaw answers very well.
Highly recommended.
Worth reading without reservation.......2007-04-02
I have read many books about the Nazism, but until I read this one I didn't really feel I understood how a little snake like Adolf Hitler could get intelligent people to follow him. "Working toward the Fuhrer", as Kershaw puts it, became the goal, regardless of the consequences. Being "one of us", rather than "one of them", was the only goal. Facinating stuff, and scary, considering the relevance to our own time.
Excellent.......2006-02-19
To be sure, military historians may be upset because Kershaw doesn't cover every little thing when it comes to the war, but this is the place to start and finish when it comes to Hitler from 1936-1945. The book is very well written and highly readable. If you want more info on the war, there are certainly other places to go, but if you want to know about Hitler, start with Kershaw's 1st volume and move on to this.
Working toward the Fuhrer.......2006-02-02
The second volume of Ian Kershaw's comprehensive biography of Adolf Hitler is quite different in focus than the first. Whereas "Hubris" was something of a character analysis of the Fuhrer and very much an attempt at "explaining Hitler," "Nemesis" is more an exposé of the Nazi state than a narrative of Hitler's wartime leadership.
Kershaw argues that the Third Reich was unique among totalitarian regimes. Other contemporary despots, such as Stalin or Mussolini, still had some semblance of a central decision making body to contend with, such as the Politburo or the Fascist Council. Nazi Germany had only one decision-making body: Adolf Hitler. A critical component of Hitler's grasp on power was the intense centralization of all authority in his person. Ministers weren't allowed to meet independently and Hitler encouraged competition among his underlings, which played to his strong belief in the benefits of Darwinian struggle for dominance. Nazi loyalists throughout the sprawling bureaucracy were encouraged to "work toward the Fuhrer" on their own. That is, Hitler was clear in articulating his general ideology and vision for the German state ("Mein Kampf" was encouraged as a guidebook), and it was up to individual party members and common Germans to do their part in making that future a reality. This "What Would Hitler Do?" mentality combined with the internal competitive dynamic inexorably led to a rapid radicalization of the regime. Kershaw maintains that Hitler entered the war very much intending to conquer and colonize the Soviet Union (the British colonial Raj in India was his inspiration and model), but with no definitive plans to exterminate the Jews, beyond a vague notion of shipping the whole race to Madagascar (literally). Rather, the Holocaust arose from "administrative cul-de-sacs of ethnic cleansing" as aggressive SS and Gaultiers moved into the occupied territory and independently began "working toward the Fuhrer" and competing with their internal rivals for Hitler's favor.
As the war dragged on and disasters mounted, Hitler became more and more aloof from the German people and his internal circle as well. This detachment is mirrored in the narrative in "Nemesis." Thus, there is relatively little about Hitler the man in this volume. For instance, the details of his relationship with Eva Braun are barely touched upon. Whereas Hitler comes alive in "Hubris" and remains a flesh-and-blood figure through the first third of "Nemesis," he seems to recede in the shadows as the reality of the impending collapse becomes clear. I'm not sure if Kershaw intended this affect or not, but it makes for an interesting approach.
In closing, "Nemesis" provides a lively and detailed account of the growth of Nazi power beyond the Reich and the vulgar descent of the regime to unprecedented acts of evil, but it could just as well serve as a history of Nazi Germany as a biography of Hitler. In fact, you could read "Nemesis" independent of "Hubris" (or vice versa) without any trouble.
Excellent.......2006-01-09
This two-volume work is perhaps the best current profile of Adolf Hitler. Kershaw provides a lucid, comprehensive, and convincing account of Hitler's origins, early unrequited search for respectability, commitment (with millions of others) to a WW1, disappointment in Versailles, utility in post war right wing politics, demagogic skills, opportunism, rise to power, ruthlessness, Darwinian authoritarian (ambiguous) rule, mystic cult and messianic attraction.
The second volume (Nemesis 1936-45) traces the mature Hitlerian state, and the world catastrophe it engendered.
Both volumes are most valuable to those who seek to find why, in the mid-20C, human civilisation seemed to be hijacked by a human virus that meant the death of 50+ million.
Hitler seems a man aware but not satisfied with Machiavellian precepts: he cared little for love or hate. Fear was better, but (perhaps) he really wanted to be worshipped as a God (like post Augustus emperors).
Kershaw's `The Hitler Myth' and `Making Friends with Hitler' are also useful.
Also highly recommended: Bullock's classic `Hitler: A Study in Tyranny (published 1953);' and Fest's `Hitler' (published 1974).
Book Description
DEAD NEWS DAY
Two months after an unlucky snowboarder vanished on the slopes above Alpine, his disappearance is old copy. Emma Lord, publisher of the Alpine Advocate, is back to writing about graduations and the latest outbreak of chicken pox-until the town's oldest family feud flares up, leaving three people dead, their bodies stowed in a meat freezer. The startling discovery of a fourth body sharing the victims' chilly repose launches Emma on the story of a lifetime. But as she races to scoop the upstart radio station with the late-breaking news, Emma unwittingly uncovers a shocking conspiracy that will change her life forever. . . .
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
The Alpine Advocate
Novels by Mary Daheim
BONUS FEATURE: "My Alpine" by Mary Daheim
Customer Reviews:
Ok, now I remember why I stopped reading her stuff..........2006-01-09
I had read several chemistry books, textbooks, a couple of rough biographies, and one of Robb's very good, but very violent mysteries, and figured I needed to cool off with a quick read. I had read Daheim's books before, probably have a couple of reviews on here way back when I first started reviewing. Couldn't remember why I hadn't read her lately. this book reminded me why!
In spite of the big word title (which was funny because Daheim comments on someone using big words to show off in the book), the writing is just plain poorly done. I've complained before about authors getting in a rut and writing the same old thing...but this was not even the case here. I'm talking poor plot, poor characterization, and in at least two instances her protagonist, Emma Lord, is conversing with someone and asking about someone else, and either Daheim or the publisher's proofreaders didn't catch the fact that she substituted the dead guy's name for the person she was talking to (page 255-10 paragraph starts down). To me this means not only is the publisher sloppy, but they (publisher and author) are pushing these money-makers out as fast as possible.
It's pretty bad when a deaf person has to correct a hearing person's English (in print!). But I took English for 4 years in college, and even I got enough grammar and good writing/reading skills to know better than doing this. I could accept one mistake, but two very close together means this book is wasting my time besides not being an enjoyable read. Didn't bother to finish this one. I like my books to have some form of intelligence! Geez...
Karen Sadler
Heartbreak Comes To Alpine.......2004-05-19
Emma Lord, owner and editor of the Alpine Advocate is furious, she's being scooped. Being the only paper in town, she's not used to that, but sincer Spencer Fleetwood - owner of the new radio station KSKY has come to town, she's no longer the sole sorce of local news.
It was bad enough when he scooped her on the disappearance of snowboarded Brian Conley several months before, but now it looks like he was going to do it on the biggest story to hit Alpine.
The three O'Neill brothers, Stubby, Rusty & Dusty are found dead in the freezer at Alpine Meats. Each of them shot.
Sheriff Milo Dodge suspects it might be their nemesis's the Harquist family. Their feud goes back years and started out with the flattening of the families pet goat.
But, it's while Emma's new reporter, Scott Chamoud starts shooting the crime scene the he wonders why there are four pairs of legs instead of three.
Shocking everyone was the discovery of the missing snowboarder, Brian Conley under the pile of bodies. Then the coroner says he had been stabbed to death and had been dead for several months. Where had he been all this time and how did he get into the meat locker? (Emma was pretty sure he didn't walk there.)
A lot of other strange things are happening in Alpine.
Milo discovery that the O'Neill's had an arsenal of weapons, including rocket launchers and grenades.
Brian's body is shipped back East to his family, but when the coffin gets there, the body is missing.
And why does everyone who dies recently suddenly want to be buried in Ireland?
Working together Milo and Emma solve the murder of the O'Neill's. But still aren't sure what happened to Brian.
Meanwhile, Tom Cavanaugh demands an answer from Emma and she finally says yes, she will marry him. They're riding on top of the Advocate float in the summer solstice parade when tragedy stikes.
The ending of this book was very difficult. I wouldn't normally say what happened, but it's already included in other reviews here, so if you don't want to know what happened, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER.
Tom Cavanaugh, is the father of Emma's son Adam. Tom married Sandra for her money and had an affair with Emma, got both women pregnant and stayed with Sandra. He didn't see Emma for the next 18 years. I've always disliked this character and I have really torn into him in my earlier reviews. Tom has asked Emma to marry him three differnt times and had dumped her each time. This was the fourth.
I've been dreading it, but I wanted Emma to realize that she wasn't really in love with Tom, but was living with a memory, in the almost 30 years, Emma & Tom probably only spent about 6 months together, (I'm not sure how long their original affair lasted, but the other two times were only a couple days each).
Emma has always had more chemistry with Milo Dodge than she has ever had with Tom. Heck, she has more chemistry with her ad manger Leo Walsh than she had with Tom.
The fact that he ends up dead and was a criminal (Running Guns To Ireland for the IRA is illegal) only makes it worse. Emma will probably never get over this, will go on wasting her life, just as she has for the past 30 years. Tom is now the dead lover who will be perfect.
I'm getting ready to read the Alpine Obituary and have just ordered the next one in the series. Had to spend the big bucks on a hard cover copy instead of the paperback. Couldn't wait for the paperback version to come out.
Wrong end to romance.......2002-11-27
I love the Emma Lord series. I also agree with another reader
that I also had hoped that Emma would tell Tom goodbye and go
on with her life. His death is an anti-climax. I hope she doesn't
mourn him for the rest of the series.
The Alpine ZZZZZZzzzzzz.......2002-11-12
The 14th book in the Alpine series is a mixed bag of emotions. Overall, I wouldn't call this one of the best books in the series but it could have been.
The only thing saving Nemesis is the actual mystery. This is definitely one of the best stories Mary Daheim has written for this series. The clues that were found throughout the book made it difficult to put down. Also, it was nice to have back some of the humor that has been missing in the last couple books.
Emma's love life is one of my favorite aspects to this series. But in Nemesis, I thought I was reading a Harlequin book. As one other reviewer suggested, I would have preffered a different ending. A semi-original one perhaps? All I have to say is, Jackie O? Please Mrs. Daheim, let's move on from St. Tom!
I definitely suggest this book to Alpine devotees. The sleuthing is one of the best yet in this series. Entertaining and baffling. Also, there are a lot of important glimpses into the characters we have all grown to love AND hate. I would rate Nemesis higher if it were not for the teeny-bopper romance and violent unrealistic ending.
Nemesis Indeed.......2002-11-03
I've read all the books in Daheim's Alpine series and loved each of them . . . up until this one. The plot of Alpine Nemesis was great and the storyline, well developed, but the ending was unexpected, uncharacteristic, and downright depressing. Daheim's audience is probably ninety percent women, most of whom read for the sheer pleasure of escape from the realities of life. What was Daheim thinking when she wrote this book? I do not recommend Alpine Nemesis, and am very reluctant to read Daheim's next book in the series for fear that it'll be a downer like this one.
Average customer rating:
- Christie is not at the top of her game, but still Marple is a marvel
- one of the best!
- Unexpected Atmosphere In This Late Christie Novel
- Verity means truth.....
- A Mystery Within A Mystery.
|
Nemesis (Miss Marple Mysteries)
Agatha Christie
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries)
ASIN: 0451200187
Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Book Description
So pleasant in fact, she was the Anthony Award Winner for Best Series of the Century. Here she solves a crime that not only has no body, no weapon, and no suspects, but no evidence that a crime has even been committed. All Miss Marple has to go on is one single word: nemesis.
Customer Reviews:
Christie is not at the top of her game, but still Marple is a marvel.......2007-05-13
I hate to say anything negative about this book because on many levels it's so enjoyable. The premise is tantalizing: Miss Marple is asked by a dead man to solve a mystery and then is given almost no information about it. She must simply follow some very general instructions and see what comes up. What follows are two of my favorite mystery settings: an English coach tour full of quirky tourists visiting tourist sites, and a decrepit old manor house full of what we call atmosphere. Needless to say, there are perplexing clues, sudden death, and a maddening stew of suspects. It's a format I enjoy: an investigator must piece together an old story told in bits and pieces from various people. She must find the needle in the haystack from long, long ago, such as an overlooked clue or some later evidence that has come to light and that now changes the conclusions drawn in the past.
The book does fall short, however. Early on, I was able to guess without much trouble what would come later, and that's always disappointing in a mystery novel. Certain basic questions were never asked or answered, so some things didn't add up at the end of the day. Christie was getting on when she wrote this, so maybe she wasn't at the top of her game. In spite of that, I'd still recommend it as a very enjoyable read.
one of the best!.......2007-04-03
if your interested in mystery novels you should read this or any other Agatha Christie novels especially before 1960s. highly recommended!
Unexpected Atmosphere In This Late Christie Novel.......2005-07-23
Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the best known mystery novelist of the 20th Century--and with good reason, for when it came to plots, truly fiendish plots, she could easily out-construct all competitors. Even so, as Christie entered her sunset years, the nature of her novels changed, often becoming less interesting for the complex plots that made her reputation than for their chatty charm.
This is very much the case with the 1971 Miss Marple mystery NEMESIS, which falters in both style and plot when compared against the truly great Christie novels of 1930-1960. Although densely written, the narrative is unexpectedly repetitive in nature; for once it is actually possible to skim passages of a Christie novel without missing telling detail. While the plot is not transparent, it seems slightly out of focus and it lacks the unexpected edges that made Christie world famous in the genre. Even so, NEMESIS remains an entertaining read largely via the charm of Christie's favorite reoccurring character, English spinster Jane Marple, presented here in all her disconcerting glory.
As a novel, NEMESIS grows out the 1964 A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY, a work that found Miss Marple joining forces with wealthy invalid Mr. Rafiel to thwart a murderer in a south seas resort. For Mr. Rafiel has died and has remembered Miss Marple in his will--albeit in a most peculiar way. He asks that she undertake an investigation for him, but he does not specify the nature of the task. Miss Marple is at a loose end. How does one investigate a matter without names, places, dates, without information or detail of any kind?
Fortunately, the resourceful Mr. Rafiel has provided a way. When Miss Marple embarks upon her journey she soon finds herself ensnared in a Gordian knot of tragedy, love, perversity, evil, and murder that lurks under a veneer of the often beautiful and seeming innocent English countryside. Christie was seldom noted for her talent for atmosphere, but this indeed the great strength of NEMESIS; it is very much like biting into a rosy apple only to discover rot at the core.
NEMESIS is unlikely to please hardcore fans in search of one of Christie's legendarily mind-bending plots, but fans will enjoy the unexpected premise, and Miss Marple remains everyone's favorite English spinster with a nose for evil. Recommended to established fans.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Verity means truth............2005-07-06
and Miss Marple is seeking the truth about the long ago tragic death of a young woman named Verity.
While on vacation last year Jane Marple had met fellow traveler Jason Rafiel. Together they solved a crime (CARIBBEAN MYSTERY) and then passed out of each other's lives - or so Miss Marple thought. She was quite surprised to find that he had left her a bequest in his will. She was even more surprised to find what the bequest was amd what Mr. Rafiel requested that she do. It seemed that his only son had been charged with the murder of a young woman years before, a young woman named Verity, and Mr. Rafiel wanted to truth of come out once and for all.
Soon Miss Marple was on the trail of this long ago crime, set to act in the role that Mr. Rafiel had cast her, the role of 'Nemesis' - bringer of justice. Her task is further complicated by the vagueness of her instructions. Mr. Rafiel has not given her more than the barest of clues as to what he wants her to accomplish or to who is enemy or ally on her quest.
As always with a Christie novel the clues are all there for the reader to follow but the plot twists and turns to challenge the reader to arrive at the solution ahead of Miss Marple.
A Mystery Within A Mystery........2005-07-03
A.C. is a master of deception. I'm always left dumbfounded by the ending of every book of hers-until this one. (I was 80% sure of the conclusion before the last chapter). But that does not take away from this exhilarating read. The plot was ingenious: Miss Marple receives a letter from the deceased Mr Raphiel(a fellow traveller in A Carribean Mystery). He makes her a proposition of sorts to help him uncover some sort of injustice (at least that is what she deduces from what she's reading). Raphiel's lawyers, equally clueless, meet with her and discuss her prospective reward if she meets the demand of late Raphiel. This meeting is followed by an itinerary and other info from a house and gardens tour co. that Raphiel has made reservations for Miss Marple to take part in. Miss Marple is still clueless as to what she is to be in search of. After being on tour for just a few short days, Miss Marple starts acquiring clues that sets her on a path(albeit w/ twists and turns along the way) of finding answers. The A.C, fan is in for a real treat w/ this one. Miss Marple is as sharp and quick witted as ever, making for a faster pace. The characters are well developed as well. I urge any and all to read this!
Average customer rating:
- Slowest book ever
- Horrid
- A tale of discovery.
- The worst science fiction book of the best science fiction writer- 2.7 out of 5
- Classic Asimov
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Nemesis
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0553286285
Release Date: 1990-09-01 |
Book Description
In the twenty-third century pioneers have escaped the crowded earth for life in self-sustaining orbital colonies. One of the colonies, Rotor, has broken away from the solar system to create its own renegade utopia around an unknown red star two light-years from Earth: a star named Nemesis. Now a fifteen-year-old Rotorian girl has learned of the dire threat that nemesis poses to Earth's people--but she is prevented from warning them. Soon she will realize that Nemesis endangers Rotor as well. And so it will be up to her alone to save both Earth and Rotor as--drawn inexorably by Nemesis, the death star--they hurtle toward certain disaster.
Customer Reviews:
Slowest book ever.......2007-07-13
The plot crawls along at a snail's pace. The dialogue is worse than Michael Critchon (if that's possible).
It's an interesting story idea which should have been paired down by half.
Horrid.......2007-02-25
This book is a gigantic waste of time. The plot is nothing particularly new, with relatively few themes. The themes it does have it repeats again, and again, and again, beating you over the head with it. You constantly find yourself wondering "Haven't I read this before", only to realize that the same idea had been 2 chapters earlier.
The characters are all wooden, and completely one dimensional. Their obsessions remain their obsessions throughout, regardless of how the plot moves forward.
There is much better Asimov out there. This has to be amongst his worst.
A tale of discovery........2006-10-23
In this classic, Isaac Asimov places you in the future where the human race takes its first faltering steps to the stars. The solar system is full of space settlements and it's getting more crowded every year. When Eugenia Insigna of the settlement Rotor discovers a hidden red dwarf star only two light years away from the sun (which she names Nemesis), and her discovery coincides with the development of hyper-assistance; Janus Pitt, the director of Rotor, decides to leave the solar system. Without warning to the rest of mankind, he takes the large space station and all of its inhabitants away to the secret star on mankind's first light-speed journey.
The leaving of Rotor tears apart the marriage of Rotarian Eugenia Insigna and her Earth husband Crile Fisher. She takes her year old daughter Marlene with her to Nemesis while Crile returns to Earth. As the child grows, Marlene displays an exceptional ability to read body language and see through people's lies. It is this ability that leads her to discover that Nemesis is on a course that will destroy Earth.
Back on Earth, authorities who desire the technology for hyper-assisted travel, become obsessed on finding out where Rotor has gone. On Rotor, Janus Pitt is equally obsessed on separating from humanity and remaining hidden. At Nemesis, the people of Rotor discover a large gas planet in a tight orbit and around that gas giant, and Earth sized world with an atmosphere containing oxygen. This empty planet with continents and oceans seems ready made for colonization but a mysterious plague prevents Rotor from establishing more than a tiny foot hold.
This is a book with many themes all woven around believable science. The world of Nemesis is intriguing and a testament to Asimov's imagination. The desire to escape the chaos of the densely populated solar system and the need to survive the coming disaster drive the development of true hyper-space flight. While the science is strong, the characters are not, and no great conflict ever plays out. Only the characters of Janus Pitt and Marlene have much personality, the rest are either flat or clichés (the over protective mother for example). Events play out in an interesting and logical way right up to the end but then the reader must accept some very unlikely events, that the author makes only a passing attempt to justify.
If you are an exploration and science enthusiast you will enjoy this book and I recommend it. If you are looking for memorable characters and a plausible plot all the way through you might not find it as interesting.
[...]
The worst science fiction book of the best science fiction writer- 2.7 out of 5.......2006-06-15
In the twenty-fouth century, humanity will look back at the twenty-third century as a simpler time- a time where plotlines were slow and dialogue was interesting but accomplished nothing, a time where authors repeated things over and over again over a span of hundreds of pages, a time where books were so boring you wanted to strangle everyone associated with it. Ah yes, the twenty third century was a time when humanity first began to reach for the stars and write terrible books about it.
Nemesis is the story of interstellar expansion, the would-be spellbinding tale of a space colony called Rotor orbiting a star neighboring the sun (Nemesis), planning on starting a new life in a place where they can be hidden from the impurities of the hideously overpopulated earth. Upon arriving at Nemesis, Eugenia Insigna, a Rotorian scientist, soon discovers that Nemesis is slowly moving on a near-collision course with the sun, which could be devastating to the earth's inhabitants if its entire population isn't notified of the existence of Nemesis and evacuated over the next thousands of years. She notifies Janus Pitt, the leader of Rotor, who decides the information is better left classified. 12 years later, Insigna's daughter, Marlene, a girl who can read body language and social cues to a point where she can essentially read minds, discovers this fact and the underlying conspiracy. Meanwhile Marlene's father, an earthman who left Rotor prior to it leaving the solar system, works with the earth people (who are obsessed with superluminal flight and the mysterious disappearance of rotor) to see Marlene again and uncover the location of Rotor.
Evidently, character development is not exactly one of Asimov's strengths as he seems to be unable of knowing what is unimportant in a book and instead chooses to throw everything he can think of into the writing of it. The book is boring to almost unreadable levels. In fact, if you aren't very interested in science, science fiction, and Isaac Asimov already, then I suggest you stay away from the book as you will be unable to finish it. The story is very character-driven and resembles an Orson Scott Card novel, except instead of introducing new and exciting things about the character, Asimov decides to instead reiterate things about each character that the reader already knows. Through the grueling 386 pages of Nemesis, the reader learns that Marlene is: A) Smart. B) Not Pretty. C) Very observant and can almost read minds based on body language. Those three facts are not only the only things you learn about Marlene through the book, but are actually the only important things to know about her whole character through the character-driven plot... and she is the main character of the book. This, combined with the needless abundance of character dialogue creates a surprisingly boring read. There is literally no feeling of suspense or action in any part of the book. The book barely even has a climax.
As usual for Asimov, the book presents an solid plot- with a story about colonization, ethics, space, and science. However, the book comes up short in enough areas to turn it into a sour read, and for me to give a 2.7 out of 5.
Classic Asimov.......2005-09-11
This is an excellent Asimov novel, especially for those that appreciate his style.
Average customer rating:
- Far above anything I have read on the subject
- lots of information, lots of laughs, maybe some tears
- An amazing, inspiring, moving book.
- Funny, fascinating and very sad
- sad but uplifting
|
Because Cowards Get Cancer Too: A Hypochondriac Confronts His Nemesis
John Diamond
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0812931777
Release Date: 1999-10-04 |
Book Description
In the face of such overwhelming statistical possibilities, hypochondria has always seemed to me to be the only rational position on life."
So begins this caustically funny and informative account of living with cancer from a self-professed coward who's nevertheless unafraid to take on the myths and taboos of the illness.
First diagnosed with cancer in March 1997, journalist John Diamond determined to chronicle the experience for the millions of people facing the same baffling process of diagnosis and treatment. His is a refreshingly clear-eyed take for those readers who likewise instinctively rebel when told that to "wage war with their cancer" they must chant, channel, laugh, breathe, group-hug, or sport a halo for sainthood or a medal for bravery. Diamond's is a distinctly more curmudgeonly stance.
With humor and intelligence, Diamond ex-
plains how he coped with dilemmas every person recently diagnosed with cancer must confront: the awkwardness of "telling"; the need to shrug off
the unearned mantle of "brave soul"; friends' sudden inability to speak openly; intrusions by well-intentioned purveyors of alternative health solutions; battles with good, bad, and indifferent doctors; dealing with treatment gains and setbacks; tension on the home front; and more. Most important, he describes how he's learned to live with uncertainty, the ultimate hallmark of the human condition.
A number one bestseller in England, Because Cowards Get Cancer Too is destined to become a classic in the literature of full-frontal assault on the body, next to such works as Jean-Dominique Bauby's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Robert Lipsyte's In the Country of Illness. Diamond's gorgeous writing, sense of wit, and fierce intelligence make this a reader's book as well as a road map for a journey that touches almost everyone.
Customer Reviews:
Far above anything I have read on the subject.......2007-07-22
I would have liked to have known John Diamond. This book is not pretty about him versus the medical establishment, but it is real, it is truth, it gets to the heart of the matter and that's life and death and what you will do to keep on living. I admire his courage. I admire his family and friends for being there for him. I have not read anything like it and couldn't put it down. God bless you, John.
lots of information, lots of laughs, maybe some tears.......2001-06-12
Unfortunately, while I'm writing this, John Diamond has already died--a couple of months ago, actually, after a long & exhausting 4-year fight with cancer. I should probably not use the word "fight" though--one of the basic things that the author stresses in this book is that dealing with cancer is not a fight in any way: it's living with the circumstances that you're dealt with, & since you really have no choice, you can't be considered a brave person. Still, after finishing this book, I would have to (partly) disagree with J.Diamond. Humour can be a great weapon & also a very brave behaviour. And John Diamond never lost his sense of humour, up until the very end. At least that's what I felt while I was reading the book: that I was listening to a brilliant, down-to-earth, realistic & yet hopeful person talk about his experience. How cancer affected him, his everyday life, his thoughts, his feelings, & how it affected his family life, too.
John Diamond, in this book, does fight but in a different way: he fights alternative medicine that doesn't have a basis in scientific research. He uses lots of well thought out arguments & makes a case in favour of orthodox medicine & the treatments it offers. John Diamond also gives new meaning to the phrase "living life from day to day", not in any new-agey kind of way, but just through the belief that life has a lot to give even when this disease is taking away so much.
"Because cowards get cancer too" has been a very interesting read for me. An intelligent, informative, full of details book about living with cancer. But also a funny (sometimes out-loud funny) read that's sure to help & even guide lots of people in their own struggle with disease. In this way, even though it's surely not enough for the late author himself & for his family, John Diamond lives on through this book.
An amazing, inspiring, moving book........2001-01-06
This book was incredible: as soon as I finished reading it, I read it again. I don't know how to describe it, because although it's a book about one man's experience with cancer, it's much more than that. There are parts in it that are actually funny, mainly because the author has a very sharp sense of humor. I enjoyed this book because it was so honest and so immediate -- I felt that I knew this person -- and I was amazed that someone could write so well about such a painful subject. And amazed, as well, that he could keep going through everything he went through without giving up; I know I could never have done it. This book makes you appreciate life more for having read it. I read almost 200 books in 2000, and this was in my top five.
Funny, fascinating and very sad.......2000-09-23
I was deeply touched by this book. Having watched my mother and my wife die of cancer, and knowing that I too will likely go by the same route, the subject is part of me. And being a writer who always longed to write his masterpiece, I feel such an identification with John Diamond who here does indeed write his masterpiece, an unlikely tale from the heart, mind and soul without a trance of cant or any phoniness. I hope he knows how good this book is. It is-believe it or not-a comedic master work, the funniest book I have read in quite a while. He uses humor tempered with rationalism instead of pathos to confront the horror of being torn apart by cancer (and its treatment). I can see Shakespeare reading this and sitting up straight with the realization that not only can this man make those words dance, he can engage our heart.
John Diamond is a print and broadcast journalist, a well-known Londoner whom I had never heard of before I picked up this book. Obviously he is a very funny and keenly insightful man who sees things that others miss, a magical wordsmith who did his best work when others might rightly have restricted themselves to wallowing in self pity. He contracts cancer of the tongue and throat at probably the most joyous time in his life with a successful career in full swing and a brilliant second marriage not ten years old. He has two little children under four years of age and he himself is still in his early forties. And then he learns that he has cancer. Within a few months time he loses his ability to eat and to speak and to even breath properly.
One of the terrible ironies of this book is the fact that Diamond wrote newspaper columns on the fraudulence of the alternative medicine industry, and put his faith entirely in the hands of the medical establishment. There is something of the spirit of English rationalism and the belief in science that allowed him nonetheless to see his treatment as something positive. Because he was relatively young and had a keen desire to stay alive he was motivated to take the treatment. As he says, he really had no choice. He had a responsibility to his wife and his children and his parents to do whatever was necessary to stay alive. And so he went under the surgeon's knife, he subjected himself to radiation and eventually to chemotherapy, all the while getting worse and worse. As he himself writes on page 91: "No wonder the alternative quacks get away with their fairy dust treatments: you die just as quickly as with the real thing but you feel better about it." He had "the real thing."
Nonetheless he can laugh and make us laugh with him. The scene where he tears out the tubes and IVs sticking in him in an attempt to escape the hospital is hilarious. On page 122 he's describing all the gadgets and tubes, etc. he's hooked up to: "There was also a tube connected to a catheter shoved up my urethra and carrying away my urine. (Here's a tip for the gents in the audience. If anyone ever asks if he can poke a catheter up your urethra and leave it there for a few days, tell him no. They will say it doesn't hurt and express surprise when, on pulling it out a few days later, they have to scrape you off the ceiling. Avoid.)"
Any man that can see the humor in such horrific circumstances, is a man worth listening to, and a man we can respect and admire. John Diamond is such a man and this is a beautiful book.
sad but uplifting.......2000-08-21
this is my sixth cancer autobiography in the past couple months, so I have some basis for comparison. diamond's story is certainly the most grisly (head and neck cancers are horrific), the funniest and the most moving. he tells his story with unapologetic humanity, avoiding "hero" speak, entering into his disease from a cerebral path. regular people may find more in common with diamond than world-class cyclist Lance Armstrong--and take greater solice from him.
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- Scorched Earth: The Russian-German War 1943-1944
- Singing Bowls
- Six Months Off: How To Plan, Negotiate, & Take The Break You Need Without Burning Bridges Or Going Broke
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams
- A Deep Breath of Life: Daily Inspiration for Heart-Centered Living
- Phytoplankton Productivity: Carbon Assimilation in Marine and Freshwater Ecology
- Power Estimation and Optimization Methodologies for VLIW-based Embedded Systems
- The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap
- A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Hurtgen Forest and the Roer River Dams, 1944-1945
- What Labs Love
- The Ethical Architect: the dilemma of contemporary practice
- Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis
- Systematics of the genus Hymenaea L.
Blowback, Second Edition: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project)
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
