Customer Reviews:
The best Book I have ever read!!!.......2000-09-09
This book is very easy reading!!! Praise the lord,Gerald was lead to write this book...this is all stuff,that i have known, yet was never able to communicate with others.I have often said if everyone followed the rules of life the world would be a better place...understand one another,love one another,forgive one another,why if ever one loved one another in hole ,there would be no need for forgiveness....This book is not easy to come by were i live,and i can't believe i have never heard of it before now,i just happen to come by it at the libarary. i feel this book goes hand and hand with the bible.,If ever there is a book worth reading ,this is,i know i'm just a little excited about it :)HEY! don't let the bible thing scare you away,it just helps me to understand what the bible is now saying,LOVE =PEACE,if u want peace in your life,here it is.i believe gerald shows even the ones that can't believe in God ,that just a change in thinking can make you a happy person !!!! YEAH!
inspiring, mind opening, and heart felt........1998-12-28
It was not only inspiring, but, it was written with such honesty. I learned so much from this book. It really taught me, what the "ego" mind is all about. Dr. Jampolsky, wrote this book, so that everyone could be aware, how the ego mind works. Clear and simple to understand. Highly recommend this book for anyone who is searching for his/her truth...
Eines der schoensten buecher ueberhaupt.......1997-09-20
Dieses Buch ist in der deutschen Tb.-Ausgabe unter der Serienbezeichnung "esoterisches Wissen" ausgezeichnet. Dies trifft nicht den wahren Gehalt des Buches.Es ist vielmehr eine sehr persoenliche Rueckschau von Dr. Jampolsky auf sein Leben, die jedem , der dieses Buch liest unglaublich viel geben kann
Book Description
The defeat and death of the evil Wulfgar should inspire a time of rejoicing throughout Eutracia. But Prince Tristan grieves. Not only is his beloved wife dead, but across the Sea of Whispers, in the island fortress known as the Citadel, Wulfgar’s bride, the sorceress Serena, plots to continue her husband’s nefarious plans, aided by the Scroll of the Vagaries and the advice of the otherworldly Heretics. Although the ranks of Tristan’s faithful soldiers were decimated in recent battle, the prince nevertheless plans a bold surprise attack.
But on the eve of the mission, disaster strikes. From behind the towering azure wall of magical energy in the forbidding face of the massive Tolenka Mountains comes Xanthus, a powerful warrior dispatched by the Heretics to bring Tristan into their mysterious realm. A master of a mystical martial art against which even the great swordsman Tristan is helpless, Xanthus launches a reign of terror against Eutracia’s innocent subjects, compelling Tristan to journey behind the azure wall. There, in a magical land as beautiful as it is violent, Tristan will learn the shocking truth about the destiny he and Shailiha, his sister, will share.
In Tristan’s absence, Shailiha must lead the fleet of Black Ships against the Citadel, accompanied by the wizards Faegan and Wigg and the beautiful pirate queen Tyranny. But unknown to them, Serena has prepared a deadly trap with hellish creatures summoned by the Heretics. And as Shailiha’s troops sail blindly into danger, Serena is preparing a spell unlike anything the world has ever seen–a spell powerful enough to defeat death itself.
Customer Reviews:
Creatures of pure evil lurking.......2007-03-09
Prince Tristan is the currently ruler of the land of Eutracia, and has recently been victorious in the battle against the evil Wulfgar of the Island Citadel.
While the Eutracian people celebrate their victory, little do they know that Wulfgar's equally evil widow, Serena, is plotting her revenge against the people who killed her husband. With the aid of the Magical Heretics, she will devise a plan so heinous that no one will see it coming until it's too late, with an army of creatures of pure evil and suffering at her beck and call.
As she carefully plots her next move, the Heretics send the Darkling known as Xanthus, a half-human, half-magical being, for Prince Tristan. Xanthus will stop at nothing to persuade Tristan to go with him, including torture and murder of the Eutracian people. As Tristan finally succumbs to Xanthus' demands, his sister Shailiha, finds herself at the helm of an all-out attack on Serena and the Citadel.
But will she and her army of wizards and magically gifted allies know in time the enormous opposition that is awaiting them, or will Serena be victorious in her cunning plans??
This is the second book in Robert Newcomb's The Destinies of Blood and Stone Series, however, as someone who hasn't read the first book, Savage Messiah, I found it worked well as a stand-alone novel also.
This novel is a good read, taking the reader into a land of magic where good and evil will collide in the greatest battle of all time.
However, I felt that the writing was not strong in that the descriptive words in the narration were not of a high standard. Throughout the book, there is a strong sense of repetition in the descriptions (for example, one particular word may be used a number of times in the one paragraph or on the one page, which can come across as weak writing). I found that this gave an overall sense that the book was somewhat childish in its writing technique.
Armchair Interview says: Lots of plans with lots of evil lurking.
An entertaining and answer-filled fantasy novel (#5 of 6) with a storyline and plenty of violence; Definitely the author's best!.......2007-03-06
I enjoyed reading this book over the weekend very much. I have read the four predecessor books to this one, and enjoyed all of them. They include:
Book 1. The Fifth Sorceress
Book 2. The Gates of Dawn
Book 3. The Scrolls of the Ancients
Book 4. Savage Messiah
Of the 4 above, Savage Messiah was the only one to disappoint me. While reading it I felt like the first three quarters of the book could have been eliminated since it was so boring (and probably unnecessary). But the last quarter of it was worth the read. By the way, I read the book in a little over an hour at Barnes and Noble. So I didn't waste my money.
March into Darkness answered a lot of unanswered questions I had from reading the first four books. I learned much about The Ones who practice the vigors and the Heretics that practice the vagaries. I learned both live on the other side of the world cutoff from the lands of Eutracia and the Parthalon. And I learned much about the scrolls of the vigors and vagaries. Now that Faegan has them BOTH indexed, they are mere cookbooks with many recipes that can be conjured.
I'm sure I would not have enjoyed the book as much as I did if I had not read the 4 predecessor books. The main characters in this book (Tristan, Shailiha, Xanthus, Wigg, Faegan, Tyranny and Serena) were great to learn about further as the story progressed. But I was hoping to learn that Faegan would overcome being a cripple. And I was hoping that Tyranny and Shailiha would have each developed a love-interest with someone. Unfortunately these things did not happen.
My favorite part of the book was following Tristan from one scene to another, especially while he was with Xanthus and while being educated by the Ones and the Heretics.
I would have liked the book better if Tristan had not been so caught up in K'Shari (martial arts) and been more involved in beginning to learn some magic. But that will probably consume the first half of the sixth book which I suspect will lead into Tristan approaching the Heretics and bringing peace between the Ones and the Heretics. Who knows? 5 stars!
Newcomb's best yet.......2007-02-15
Wulfgar, enemy of the peoples of Eutracia, is vanquished. The Orb of the Vigors, bleeding out magical energy, has damaged Eutracia, leaving its scars across the land. While the citizens rejoice at newfound peace, Prince Tristan is feeling none of the joy of his success. Victory came with a price: his wife, Celeste. He is not the only one to have suffered a loss. Across the Sea of Whispers, Wulfgar's wife, the sorceress Serena, sets in motion her own nefarious plot to bring down Tristan.
Prince Tristan and his companions prepare a countermeasure in the hopes of eliminating the threat from Serena, but events beyond their control alter the moves they would make. In the Tolenka Mountains, a menacing wall of azure magic opens and from it issues forth a dark soul, Xanthus the Darkling, who leaves death and devastation in his wake. Sent by the Heretics who dwell in the otherworld, Xanthus is sent to convince Tristan to come and speak with them. Though he is forbidden to bring the Prince by force, he uses his malevolence and atrocities inflicted on innocent Eutracians to sway the young man to his purpose. Yet, even as they commence their journey, Tristan will find that nothing is really quite what he believes it to be.
With Tristan removed, the fate of Eutracia falls to his sister, Shailiha. Reinforcing their resolve, she and her wizard companions, Faegan and Wigg, must command the Black Ships and commence their assault on the Citadel. Serena, with the Scroll of the Vagaries in her possession, seeks to lay a hellish trap for those who would undo her designs, and also discovers a dark magic that may undo death itself.
A MARCH INTO DARKNESS marks a great turning point for author Robert Newcomb. The story really opens up and reveals some of the solid form that has been shrouded in mystery for so long, especially concerning Tristan and Shailiha. They continue to grow, but Newcomb also finds ways to keep interest in characters such as Wigg and Faegan, and his continued use of the pirate queen, Tyranny, is a welcome pleasure. Serena, while a continuation of the Wulfgar as enemy scenario, makes a logical choice as the villain, for who would want retribution more than one who feels she has been victimized?
The darkness referenced in the title is multifaceted. It is a march into Serena's evil conspiracy and it is Tristan's journey with Xanthus to meet the Heretics, but it is also a march into despair, sorrow and grief. Many of the heroes are scarred from the events of SAVAGE MESSIAH, and they bear much weight. Newcomb does a strong job of showing us how each deals with such burdens and the choices they make in how to rise or fall because of them.
More than that, though, these elements combine to make A MARCH INTO DARKNESS Newcomb's best book, in both quality of the story and quality of the telling. Some argue that he does not display the skills of Robert Jordan or George R.R. Martin, but he is not meant to. While Newcomb's work does have its own epic scope, his storytelling style is more simplistic, more driving and more free. It is action and reaction, fire and fury, but never at the expense of depth. The power of a good storyteller is in his or her ability to captivate and entertain. Newcomb does this in spades, leaving out extraneous descriptions and narration and keeping the reader focused on the heart of the story.
One should not attempt A MARCH INTO DARKNESS without first going through SAVAGE MESSIAH at the very least, though readers who take up all four previous works (the three books that comprise The Chronicles of Blood and Stone, in addition to SAVAGE MESSIAH) ultimately will find this installment to be an incredible reward.
--- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard
excellent epic fantasy .......2007-02-07
When the Azur Pass was created during Prince Tristan's war with Wulfgar a battle of the Vectors (good magic) and Valories (bad magic), nobody knew what was behind the glow. Guards were posted there but when a horseman came out of an opening that suddenly appeared; he killed all the guards with ease. He then went on to torture, mutilate, and kill men women and children in a nearby village. The man/spirit Xanthus orders the villagers to go to Tristan and tell him what happened.
Xanihus goes to Tristan's homes and orders the Prince to go with him to the portal in the Azur Pass to meet with the Heretics, people who practice the Valories there. He refuses but is blackmailed into following him in order to save his people. As he follows Xanthus, he sees Xanthus torture and kill in order to break his will. Tristan finally gives in when he is forced to partake into the torturee. He meets the Heretics and learns that all is not what he thought and is sent back to his realm to stop the Valories, in the form of Queen Serena, Wulfgar's widow, who is a minion of the Heretics, from forcing the Valories on the entire world.
Book Two in the Destinies of Blood and Stone is epic fantasy in the grand tradition of Terry Brooks and Tad Williams. Tristan is a decent man who has to make life and death decisions that most people could never do. There are plenty of action scenes and a support cast that adds valor and depth do this high fantasy tale. Robert Newcomb leaves readers eager for the next installment in his entertaining saga.
Harriet Klausner
Robert Newcomb at his best.......2007-02-06
This book was like an addicting drug and all I want is more.
If you are a fan of the series you wont be disappointed.
Book Description
He descended into hell. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth-century, placed this affirmation of the Nicene Creed at the heart of his reflection on the world-altering events of Holy Week, asserting that this identification of God with the human experience is at the "absolute center" of the Christian faith.
Alyssa Lyra Pitstick's Light in Darkness — the first comprehensive treatment of Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday — draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic thinking on Christ's descent to challenge Balthasar's influential conclusions. This carefully argued, contrarian work is sure to spur debate across the theological spectrum.
Customer Reviews:
HVB's hangups on Hell.......2007-03-18
HVB was a master stylist of rhetoric and literature, and a brilliant theologian. He came to the fore at a time when liberals were dismantling the orthodox foundations of Vatican II's ambiguously-spun final decrees. Cleaving to tradtion as he did, he became a lifeline to arising generation of seminarians seeking to be true to Catholicism. Along with DeLubac and Congar, he managed to champion Biblical fidelity while also fostering forward-looking theological explorations.
In many ways von Balthasar was a Catholic counterpart to that great if stange Protestant watershed figure Karl Barth. And like Barth, despite essential soundess on most points, he could not escape being a child of his age and hoping towards a theology of Universalism. This tendency was stoked by his passionate vision of God's all-conquering love on the cross. In a sense he became a reverse Calvinist: if Jesus' mission did not result in the successful application of that love to every soul intended, how could it be termed a success? The logic of limited atonement was transposed and became the 'theo-logic' of an all-encompassing atonement.
Which of course is wishful thinking at best, skewed exegsis and heresy at worst. Pitstick gives a good, succinct autopsy of the problems. Many HvB groupies have railed unsuccessfully (see the edgy arguments at the First Things website), but impressive endorsements for Pitstick come from heavyweight HvB afficionados and RC literati including Neuhaus, Nichols, Saward, and Thomas Hoaward... all of which makes you respect these men that much more. She is a precise and unornamental prose writer, and I'd wager Pitstick's ripples will be felt for years. Given the clergy's ongoing avoidance of Hell as theological subject matter, Pitstick's dissection is saluatory.
CS Lewis' literary inspiration George MacDonald harbored similar fancies about damnation, but like HvB managed to compose a crackerjack corpus despite such novelties. It all points to a healthy reminder: there is no such thing as the infallible theologian. For a counterpoint to Pitstick and tour of HVBs strengths, for starters check out his "Three Garlands," "Primer for Unsettled Laymen," "Anxiety," and "Prayer." Edward T. Oake's primer on the guy's theology is a necessary clarifier given HvB's staggeringly prolific output. And not to be forgotten is the tributes to HvB from the ultimate fans, JP II and B XVI, at the Vatican website.
Book Description
Natalie Lambert's life has changed in the space of weeks––and she has no idea why. Her parents were murdered, she has her first taste of sexual desire––and she feels out of control, afraid, desperate to understand her changing world. She flees to New Orleans, hoping to lure the murderer out of the dark and bring to an end the trail of dead loved ones. Instead, she's attacked by crazed birds, swarmed by locusts, and saved by a Cajun cop who awakens all her latent desires.
When Rene Broussard rescues a virgin vampire, he ends up in her bed and becomes hers for life in one lusty bite. Rene awakens the vampire within Natalie, and she awakes the passion within him. Together, they fight the evil threatening to destroy The Born vampires while they discover a treasure of love they can share for all eternity.
Customer Reviews:
A New Vamp Society that may be a promising series.......2007-09-14
This is the 1st writing of Deliah Devlin's that I have read and I plowed right through the book. I won't go through the synopsis since it's readily available.
The book was hard to put down, needing to see what happened next to our new emerging Born vamp Natalie, and her reluctant at first mate, Rene who is human and their future.
The good vamps (Born) vs. bad vamps (Bitten Rogues) are a little reminiscent of the Crimson City vamp society struggles to me. If Devlin continues on with a series, it looks like we may find some of our good vamps are really nasty little dictators, our rogues may not be all that bad and characters from this book may play a leading role in a coup. Time will tell, lots of room to play with.
Rene is yummy HOT. He and Natalie certainly burn up the sheets. Our secondary gal/guy Chessa & Nic are just as hot and we should be reading more about them I would guess.
As others have warned this is an erotic paranormal with hot sex and a lot of it. Yes, some girl/girl sex. Not my cup of tea, so just skip over that part as I do. However, there is also a very good story here with all the elements of a strong series.
Into the Darkness.......2007-07-24
Natalie Lambert's life is in turmoil. First her parents were murdered, then her roommate, and now the world has gone crazy! She returns to New Orleans in search of her birth mother and the killer that stalks her, but instead she is attacked by killer birds and locusts and discovers sexual desire for the first time. Can she make any sense of things before the killer catches her too?
New Orleans Police Detective Rene Broussard knows there are things that go bump in the night... after all, his partner is a vampire! Yet even he is shocked at the strange things that occur around Natalie. He takes her into protective custody, but soon wonders who will protect the little innocent from his own raging desire?
Natalie's hormones are raging and although she doesn't understand them, she follows her instincts and sets into motion a chain of events that will change everyone's lives.
Into the Darkness is a step into another world. Delilah Devlin easily weaves fantasy with reality, creating something spectacular in Into the Darkness. Natalie had no idea who or even what she was until she met up with Rene and his strange partner, Chessa Tomas. Watching the changes she goes through was both fascinating and erotic. She and Rene are great together and as they learn more about her needs, they also learn more about each other and their desires. I really liked seeing the progression and the growth of their feelings for each other. Into the Darkness is a fast-paced page-turner full of fantastic characters and a whole lot of sexual tension - this is one story you won't want to miss.
Georgia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
4.5 Klovers! Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques.......2007-07-07
It doesn't matter if Natalie Lambert is a suspect or a victim, good cops do not get involved with either. At least, that is what Rene Broussard keeps trying to tell himself when he is tasked with protecting her overnight - at his own home. In his own bed, even. But as the beautiful virgin vampire comes into heat for the first time, she proves as irresistible as she is determined when she sets her mind on seducing Rene!
Natalie can't explain the desire she feels for Rene - something she has never felt before. Even harder for her to understand is this strange urge she has to bite him...
When an unknown threat terrorizes Natalie, murdering those she loves most, she is swept up in the arms of a new family - one she never knew existed - who will stop at nothing to protect her.
Delilah Devlin is a relatively new author for me, and I am enjoying what I have read from her so far immensely! Her new vampire story, Into the Darkness, is no exception. This is actually the first full-length novel I've read by this author, and she proves herself as capable in this format as she is with a short story.
Be warned, Devlin's vampire society lives by a set of mores that are atypical to human society, and readers must learn to adjust along with Rene, who is also human. As Rene grows to accept the strange new world he is thrust into, we are provided the opportunity to gain the same acceptance through his eyes, easing both him and the reader into this new world.
Natalie is a wonderful leading lady to Rene's hero, and is simultaneously sweet and innocent, yet bold and sensual, providing Rene no quarter as her newfound sexuality asserts itself.
The more sensitive readers should be aware that this book contains elements that may be too titillating for delicate sensibilities, including a ménage scene and a female/female scene. While I usually do not choose books with female/female content, the scene fit with the peculiarities of the vampire culture in Devlin's story, and I didn't find it offensive or out of place.
While Rene's & Natalie's story is complete in this book, the author creates opportunity for possible sequels with some very interesting supporting characters. I know I will definitely be keeping an eye out for a sequel!
One Hot Book!.......2007-04-18
This is the story of one "Born" vampire's transformation from human to total immortal. The problem is Natalie is being hunted by Those who would see the "Borns" annihilated. Her protectors are the unsuspecting detective Rene and his all too knowing partner, Chessa.
Rene cannot resist Natalie during her change nor can she resist the urge to mate and feed for they are one and the same to a vampire. Chessa is aware of the danger Natalie is in and knows Who can help her.
This is a very erotic book with lots of vivid and explicit love scenes. The main protags engage in sex with other people, and there are girl/girl, and girl/girl/guy sex scenes.
terrific vampiric erotic romance .......2007-03-30
Following the murders of her parents, Natalie Lambert comes to New Orleans to uncover the identity of their killer. Instead, she is bitten by a creature of the night. To her chagrin, confusion and euphoria Natalie finds she has radically changed since the assault; for she craves sexual passion, an emotion she never felt before the nip on her neck. Other desires are almost as haunting as her sexual appetite. On the down side the animal kingdom has it in for her as she becomes a victim of attacking killer birds and locusts of biblical proportion.
NOPD Police Detective Rene Broussard rescues Natalie from another attack. However, he is unable to remain professionally attached as he cannot resist her lure. The next morning he finds himself in bed with this beauty and a hunger for her like nothing he ever felt before. She reciprocates his feelings as her vampire nature surfaces with his touch. However, one (make that numerous) bites, nips, and caresses, etc. later, the pairs knows they must fight against an evil that is using Hurricane Katrina as a cover to kill vampires especially easy marks like these two in love fledglings.
This is a terrific vampiric erotic romance starring a virgin vampire (making her a unique protagonist) and the cop who rescues her from various attacks and her new sexual cravings. The story line is hot from the first bite to the last bite while the police procedural elements take somewhat of a back seat to the vampiric lust and love of the lead duet. Fans of torrid paranormal romantic suspense will appreciate the two rookies hoping for an eternity of love while praying for surviving a lethal serial killer.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- The skewed scales of justice
- Held My Interest
- Working Class Poet
- We all pay for our sins
- SENSATIONAL - ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST!
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Slipping into Darkness
Peter Blauner
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0446617474 |
Book Description
It has been two decades since Detective Francis X. Loughlin solved his first big case, the brutal murder of a woman doctor. The young man convicted of the killing, Julian Vega, is back on the streets now, released on a technicality after years of appeals. Not long after his release, another murder takes place, one so similar to that long-ago case that Julian is the first suspect in Detective Loughlins sights. However, the DNA evidence that is now a routine part of policework points in an impossible direction. If the evidence is correct, Loughlin has to rethink decades of certaintyand Julian may be the only person alive who can help him make it through this case. With his laser-sharp vision for motives and secrets of human nature, Peter Blauner has crafted a crime story of the highest order, in which the ending is an unguessable shock and the characters are unforgettably real. Blauner is at the top of his form in this chilling tour de force, a novel that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
Customer Reviews:
The skewed scales of justice.......2007-07-29
Peter Blauner"s "Slipping into Darkness" is a crime mystery which has a refreshing twist. The novel's two protagonists Julian Vega and Francis X. Loughlin are positioned on opposite ends of a crime committed 20 years ago. Vega, then a naive 17 year Puerto Rican old schoolboy was convicted of the brutal murder of young doctor Allison Wallis, a tenant in the apartment Vega's dad worked as the super. An aggressive interrogation without legal council, by Loughlin, a young police officer, recently reinstated after alcohol rehabiliatation helped cinch the conviction.
As the novel commences the victim, Wallis' body is being exumed. Vega had been released from prison on a technicality and was now being represented by an aggressive defense attorney. Loughlin was directed to reopen the investigation to retry Vega using DNA evidence not available then but now implicating the now hardened ex-con in the crime.
Loughlin who railroaded Vega for the murder, ignoring certain conflicting aspects of evidence is stunned when a similar crime occurs, the murder of a young doctor, once again impicating Vega. Evidence however presents a muddled picture as the DNA profile of the original murder victim is found at the scene of the new crime.
Throughout the novel both protagonists plod through their penitent existence trying to come to grips with the harsh twists of fate life presents. Vega, robbed of the most productive years of his life and lacking social experience is trying to become assimilated into a society that has no affection for a high profile criminal. Loughlin, plagued with self doubt about implicating Vega is seemingly being punished for perceived misdeeds as a progressive eye disease in slowly robbing him of sight.
Both characters come into conflict as the investigations into both crimes progresses to a mildly startling conclusion.
Held My Interest.......2007-07-13
I purchased this book based on the reviews by other readers, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending is not what I'm used to or expected, and that makes it all the more interesting.
I will be buying more books by Peter Blauner.
Working Class Poet.......2007-02-28
I've long been a fan of James Lee Burke's novels, never expecting to find another author with the same depth of characters and moral labyrinths. After stumbling upon an online interview with Mr. Blauner, I decided to give this book a shot.
"Slipping into Darkness" parallels the story of Julian Vega, a young man convicted of murder, and Francis Loughlin, the one responsible for putting Vega away for twenty years. Now, released from prison on a technicality, Julian tries to restore his good name and that of his deceased father--an immigrant whose reputation was tarnished during the decades-old investigation. Julian also tries to find his footing back in the free world, while struggling with his prison-survival mentality. At the same time, Francis is facing his own weaknesses as a cop and a human being, as symbolized through the deterioration of his eye sight. Even as he tries to hide his handicap from his wife and his new partner on the Job, Francis is confronted with a new murder investigation that points fingers once again at the recently-released Julian.
Aside from the completely believable characters that Blauner creates in this story, the most amazing accomplishment is the empathy he stirs in the reader for both Julian and Francis. Neither man is perfect. Both make horrible mistakes. Both are subject to poor decision-making. And yet, both are so human and normal and real, that we are caught up in their internal and external conflicts. These conflicts are intensified by a satisfying mystery plot that leaves things unfinished till the final thirty pages.
This is not squeaky clean fiction, with tidy answers, and diatribes on forgiveness. Despite this--or perhaps, because of it--"Slipping into Darkness" manages to pack a powerful punch, showing the results of bitterness, stubborness, and potential redemption. Blauner has stormed onto my fictional radar. And I'm sure he'll be there for a long time.
We all pay for our sins.......2007-02-13
Fine characters. Good puzzle. Life is hard and time costs us all. A cut above the usual.
SENSATIONAL - ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST!.......2007-02-05
No need to re-state the storyline here, that's been done enough, so just let me say that if you read only one book this year in this genre, this should be it. I found it so compelling that I read it in 2 sittings, neglecting several things I should have been doing to get to the conclusion, though I didn't really want the book to end. The characters are so vivid & the writing has such style, intelligence, & sincerity that I think I may have to put Blauner right at the top of my TOP FIVE AUTHORS list! This is brilliant, suspensful writing that you don't want to miss! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Amazon.com
Some authors are worth reading because of their area of expertise, even when their objectivity may be questionable. This is true of John Douglas, who follows up his Mindhunter with another assortment of his observations and opinions from his ex-job as the FBI's top expert on constructing behavioral profiles of criminals. This book contains several passages of interest: a detailed discussion of the modus operandi versus the "signature" of a murder, and how each relates to motive; thoughts on how the press and the public can be used to flush out a killer; a taxonomy of pedophiles, with a chapter on how to protect children from them; a detailed analysis of the savage sex-murder of a female Marine; a profile of the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman killer; and a report on how the courts are handling behavioral testimony. Always biased, often egotistical, but uniquely experienced--that's Douglas.
Book Description
There is only one John Douglas.
We first met Douglas in Mindhunter, which told the story of his brilliant and terrifying with the FBI until his retirement in 1995. And now, again with coauthor Mark Olshaker, he goes even further. We accompany him on the Journey Into Darkness that marks every case he examines; every instance in which he helps police identify the unknown perpetrator of a violent series of rapes, kidnappings, or murders through his remarkable criminal personality profiling.
In this fascinating audio experience, we journey with some of the brilliant and sensitive agents John has trained, who have carried on his work. We take a startlingly fresh look at the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman as if John had been asked by the LAPD to identify the killer through behavioral profiling. And we hear how a lifetime around killers and their victims has shaped his views on justice and punishment.
The Journey Into Darkness is a perilous one, but ultimately a hopeful one as well. For not only do we see from the men and women who track the most sadistic of criminals what a powerful weapon profiling has become, we also get advice on how we might better keep our children, our families and ourselves safe from harm. By making the Journey Into Darkness with John Douglas and his colleagues, we come away with an insight into the human condition that no one else can offer.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read!!.......2007-09-16
This book was a great reading experience. Douglas is an experienced storyteller, and being that these are not just stories, but actual accounts of reality make is a bonus! This book was a satisfing buy for my evil sweettooth. I loved it. It was worth adding to my collection of true crime interests.
There are Lot of Other Victims not Mentioned in the dedication!.......2007-06-22
I won't go much further. John E. Douglas is an excellent expert on true crime particularly the gruesome serial killings. I got the book before the Green River Killer was identified as Gary Leon Ridgway. Anyway, he analyzes cases and gives his opinions but he is pro-law enforcement most of the time. He doesn't like to give the benefit of the doubt towards the law enforcement community. Sadly, his dedication in the beginning of the book mentions only a portion of the victims in the book which some are well-known like Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson and the victims of Bernardo-Homolka crimes in Canada, as well as a few others. There were others who were murdered, brutalized, and their names are bearly mentioned in the book. Unless he changed their names to protect their true identity which I doubt because most of the murdered victims are identified. Since he is pro-law enforcement, he may not have a total open view of the criminals themselves. Granted, he knows how to identify the criminal whether a child molester or serial killer from his actions. He aids in their capture, prosecution, and their sentence whether death penalty or life in prison. He doesn't suggest ways to prevent such disasters such as a pedophile or serial killer from becoming such a creature because they aren't really human.
The Art of Detecting Serial Killers.......2005-04-15
This book explains his career as a criminal profiler for the FBI. John Douglas solved unusual kinds of crimes done by those who kill or rape or torture because they enjoy it. Profiling requires "creative-type thinkers", not accounting or engineering types. They must work well both alone and in groups. They need good judgment based on instinct, which can't be defined in an objective nature. Douglas says serial killers are mostly made, not born. Most come from broken or dysfunctional homes, and are victims of some type of abuse. Real-life killers were used as models for "The Silence of the Lambs", "Red Dragon", and "Psycho". The modus operandi is what the offender does, the signature is why he does it (that doesn't change). Virtually all multiple killers are male. Chapter 2 gives an example of solving murders where there was only a vague eyewitness description.
Chapter 3 shows many examples where profiling was used to describe the habits of killers. Chapter 4 tells of more cases, some of which will never be dramatized for TV as they are too horrible. Chapter 5 deals with pedophiles. One warning sign would be a man whose house has games and amusements that appeal to children. Chapter 6 tells of the possible dangers to young children. One example is the murder of Megan Kanka. It doesn't tell you that her murderer was released from prison against all advice because a new governor wanted to cut costs. Fast footwork by propagandists made it appear to be the fault of the parents since "they didn't know". I wonder if this law affected the crime rate? Chapter 7 tells of the Collins family; its too long. Chapter 8 tells of the murder of Suzanne Collins, a sad tragedy. Chapter 9 tells of the after-effects on Suzanne's parents, and their support group. Chapter 10 is about the savage murder of a wife and her two girls. It established the use of criminal profiling at trials. Chapter 11 tells about the crimes of a rapist-murderer near Arlington Va. [Was this the inspiration for Patricia Cornwell's "Post Mortem"?] When they noted a 3-year gap in the crimes, they looked for someone who had been in prison for burglary; they found a likely suspect. This suspect was convicted, the first person in the world to be executed on the basis of DNA evidence.
Chapter 12 is about the unsolved murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. John Douglas was not called in by the police and the prosecutors, but has formed a strong opinion of the case. [Ever notice how many people's opinions are set by the first news and can never consider the facts in the case?] Note that his discussion of the attack omits the fact that two different knives were used (autopsy report). Douglas talked of the "widespread conspiracy" argument, but didn't read Steven Singular's "Legacy of Deception" which tells how a journalist in Denver got news about the LAPD! The timeline says O. J. Simpson is innocent. The limo driver arrived at 10:22 and saw no one enter or leave until the 11pm trip to the airport. Any evidence like a glove or blood drops had to be planted the next day. Ron Goldman was 5'9" and 175 lbs. His unexpected visit to Nicole's place put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nicole had been involved with another man who was 5'9", 175 lbs, but a few years older. In the dark the killers attacked the wrong man, then the witness who came out of the house. If her boyfriend then went into hiding, then that would confirm this theory.
Chapter 13 gives the authors views on crime and punishment. Rehabilitation which makes a good guy out of a bad guy is best. But some offenders can never be rehabilitated and must be isolated from society. Capital punishment prevents the worst from recommitting their crimes. But the problem is to be sure those convicted are truly guilty. Criminals are manufactured from a poor home life. [But isn't this the result of poverty in many cases?] The problem is apparently without a practical solution.
Sequel to Mindhunter.......2005-03-30
John Douglas continues showing the inside of the criminal mind in Journey. High Profile cases like O.J. Simpson are included. Other cases are also included that are not as well known such as Suzanne Collins, a Marine killed by a civilian on post. As with the first installment, not for the faint of heart or anyone offended by graphic descriptions or language. Well written and easily to understand, a real page turner.
A real Journey into Darkness.......2003-11-26
I have been an avid true crime reader for several years although this is the first book that I have read by John E. Douglas. This book makes you see the darkness that a lot of people seem to have inside and what they are prepared to do to realise their fantasies whatever the cost. I was not able to put down this book even though it filled me with anxiety and sadness because the title is true - he really does take you on a journey into Darkness, although John Douglases telling of these brutal cases is masterly. He explains even the most complicated of theories in a way that is understandable to all. After reading this book I have already ordered his other books and can't wait for them to be delivered. Gripping stuff!!!
Book Description
A tribute to the audacious Navy divers who performed the almost super-human deeds that served to shorten the war.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent snapshot of Diving History.......2007-04-14
Commander Raymer did a fantastic job setting the mood of this story in the first chapter as he described his first dive into the sunken Arizona (it was the first ever dive on the ship), months after it had sunk. His descriptions are so vivid, I often pictured (what he experienced) as if I were there.
Other reviewers mention Raymer's escapades into early WWII Honolulu and his encounters with the the locals, but this story really focuses on what the divers did, hazards they overcame, and innovations they devised as they fought to return the heavily damaged warships back to the fleet.
descent into darkness.......2006-10-20
what a great book! i couldn't put it down. commander raymer and the men working with him were brave heroes.this book gives a glimpse of life in hawaii in the early forties as well as the navy's diving program in its infancy.not to mention the unique problems of salvaging the ships that were damaged in the pearl harbor attack.i highly recommend this book.
DESCENT INTO DARKNESS.......2005-08-29
Most books on WWII center around specific battles. However, Commander Raymer gives the reader a somewhat different perspective of WWII. Although, Raymer discribes several important engagements and the sinking of his own ship by Imperial Japanese naval forces, he also concentrates on the overwhelming and depressing daily tasks of the Navy salvage diver stationed at Pearl harbor shortly after the infamous attack. His objectives; recover bodies, raise or salvage the flagship U.S.S. Arizona, and other capital ships such as the U.S.S. California, U.S.S. West Virginia, and others.
His writing style is simple, and straight to the point. His ongoing descriptions of the scenes he saw and experienced in Hawaii and through the divers helmet port are well worth the read!
If, you liked the movie; "Men of Honor" then I guarentee you will like "DESCENT INTO DARKNESS!"
History written by a eyewitness.......2004-05-31
This really is a first-rate account of a process that has largely been ignored by writers and historians. I think it's a "given" that diving around sunken, fully armed and fueled battleships would be dangerous, but until I read this book I didn't realize just how MANY different hazards there were. For example, who would have known that it's dangerous to enter a previously-sealed but empty compartment that contains rust? (the formation of iron oxide [rust] depletes oxygen in the space)
The reader gets a firsthand account of the daily lives of salvage divers, and how frequently solutions to problems were devised on the spot. Rather unexpectedly, readers also get a firsthand description of what life was like "on the ground" during the Guadalcanal campaign.
Anyone wanting to know more about the Pearl Harbor attack really should read this book. Many people tend to think of the battle as being over when the last Japanese plane returned to its carrier; in truth, the battle had just BEGUN.
A Great Preservation of History.......2002-11-19
I recieved Descent In to Darkness as a Christmas pressent from my sister. I could not stop reading the book. I have always been a huge history buff as well as a great interest in diving . Febuary of this year (2002) I went to Maui to visit my cousin. While in Maui I got my scuba certification. My last day we flew over to Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona. It was very moving because I had more of a conection to the Arizona due to Raymer's detailed report on Pearl Harbor and the Arizona in the salvage eforts to raise our Pacific Fleet.
Book Description
Based on 70 hours of interviews with Franz Stangl, commandant of Treblinka (the largest of the extermination camps), this book bares the soul of a man who continually found ways to rationalize his role in Hitler's final soulution.
Customer Reviews:
Franz Stangl (Sobibor and Treblinka Kommandant); Jew and Slav Extermination; "Polish" Killings of Fugitive Jews, etc. .......2007-06-02
Sereny interviews Franz Stangl and other Nazis such as Franz Suchomel, Jewish escapees from Treblinka, and a member of the Polish Underground. There are many contradictions between different accounts, which she explains as follows: "This is less the result of failing memories or deliberate manipulation, than because most people now represent these events and their part in them with a view to seeming--to themselves even more than to others--what they would have liked to have been, rather than what they were. And this applies to Germans as well as Poles, Christians as well as Jews, West as well as East Europeans." (p. 171).
Polish authors have commonly been criticized for not portraying Polish Jews as Poles. But the shoe is also on the other foot. Sereny comments: "Polish Jews always refer to non-Jewish Poles as `Poles' and to themselves as `we' or `Jews'." (p. 121; see also p. 199).
To her credit, Sereny recognizes the fact that Poles had nothing to do with the German death camps built on their soil (p. 100), and that Poles faced the death penalty for the slightest form of aid to Jews (p. 117).
There were no windows in the Sobibor-bound trains (p. 122). This helps refute the myth of doomed Jews looking out and beholding throngs of indifferent or hostile Polish onlookers.
There is a fascinating interview (pp. 149-156) with Franciszek Zabecki, a member of the Polish Underground who was also the traffic superintendent at the Treblinka railroad station. He points out that there was limited Underground communication between different regions of German-occupied Poland (p. 151). Consequently, the events unfolding at Treblinka were not immediately related to those at Belzec and Sobibor. (This may address David Engel's accusation of the Polish Government in exile's "tardy" report on Jewish deaths). Zabecki kept a tally of all the trains arriving at Treblinka along with the numbers written on each train. From this, he arrived at a death toll of 1.2 million (p. 250) which, if correct, would cause Treblinka to surpass Auschwitz-Birkenau as the world's largest Jewish cemetery.
Ukrainian collaborators played a central role in the operation of Sobibor (p. 122, 124) and Treblinka (e. g., p. 148, 166; see especially p. 224). Lithuanians (p. 155) and Russians (p. 164) were also involved. So were Jewish Kapos (p. 123, 158-159)--the depravity of some of whom rivaled that of the Germans and Ukrainians (p. 188).
Treblinka-escapee Berek Rojzman commented: "We got to know from people around that the Germans were sending Ukrainians who pretended to be partisans, into the woods to look for Jews." (p. 243). How often was the "Polish" participation in German posses, "Polish" killings of fugitive Jews in forests, etc., actually the work of Polish-speaking Ukrainian collaborators (not only around Treblinka, but also elsewhere in otherwise Ukrainian-free regions of Poland)?
Stangl rebuts Holocaust-uniqueness arguments (that posit that ALL Jews were targeted for extermination) when he alludes to certain deliberately-protected Mischlinge and full-blooded German Jews: "That racial business," said Stangl, "was just secondary. Otherwise, how could they have had all those `honorary Aryans'? They used to say that General Milch was a Jew, you know." (p. 232).
To the extent that the Vatican had been "silent" on Jews, it had also been "ineffectual" in its occasional statements on murdered Poles (pp. 278-279).
Not content with maintaining an exclusively Judeocentric focus, Sereny examines the planned extermination of Slavs: "Historical records in the public domain prove beyond any doubt that the Nazi extermination of the Jews, and concurrently of large numbers of Gypsies, was intended as only the first step in a gigantic programme of genocide of all so-called `inferior races' of Europe. A beginning was made both in Russia...and in Poland..." (p. 93). Treblinka-escapee Richard Glazer adds: "This is something, you know, the world has never understood; how perfect the machine was. It was only lack of transport because of the Germans' war requirements that prevented them from dealing with far vaster numbers than they did; Treblinka alone could have dealt with the 6,000,000 Jews and more besides. Given adequate rail transport, the German extermination camps in Poland could have killed all the Poles, Russians, and other East Europeans the Nazis planned eventually to kill." (p. 214).
Finally, Sereny discusses Stangl's flight to Brazil. She contends that few Nazis escaping from postwar Europe benefited from the aid of conspiratorial organizations such as Odessa, whose effectiveness had been greatly exaggerated to begin with (p. 276). And, against the blanket condemnation of the Catholic Church, Sereny shows that aid to fleeing Nazis was given almost exclusively by German and Austrian clergy (pp. 285-286).
Powerfully understated.......2007-04-11
Gitta Sereny's book is as powerful now as it must have been when if first came out. She manages to give the reader a real sense of one of the men who was a key part of the Nazi killing machine - Franz Stangl supervised the killing of at least 750,000 men, women and children but the total is very probably more like a million. What is clear is that he was a perfectly sane, happily married man who allowed himself to be drawn 'into the darkness' and then felt unable to escape when he was eventually asked to supervise mass murder (and historical research confirms that people in his situation were not actually threatened with their lives if they decided to change roles). This shows how easy it is for those in authority to bend others to serve their purposes, especially if their true motivations are dressed up in pseudo-science and a veneer of legality (as was the case with the Nazis). He isn't a monster which makes his story all the more chilling as it shows that it is possible for any one of us to end up doing what he did.
The only problem with this book (which makes it 4 rather than 5 stars) is that Sereny allows herself multiple digressions, some of which do help to better explain background context, but some of which simply distract from her narrative of Stangl's struggle to acknowledge his guilt.
Thought-provoking and Thorough Investigation.......2006-06-07
I want to clear something up ~~ I don't "love" this book (that is what 5 stars stand for) but I do appreciate this book and it is definitely one of the best books I have read on the Holocaust. That is why I gave it a five star rating. It really is a thought-provoking book and very insightful. The author did a great job of following through with loose ends and she writes in a very detailed way that is not dry. History came alive in these pages.
I also appreciate the fact that while she didn't gloss over the horrors of the extermination camps, she also didn't dwell on them. Yes, it happened. Yes, it is horrorifying and too awful to think on, but it didn't need to be a sensationalized case where every single detail had to be graphic. She left it to the imagination of just how horrible this was. She was tasteful and respectful of the dead's dignity.
Sereny detailed everything. She wrote about Stangl's childhood, his demeanor while being interviewed especially when he had to answer questions that he was not comfortable about. She made sure that if anyone contacted her later with a clarification of something, she added it in the book. She interviewed the witnesses and toured the camp. She never stopped asking questions. She covered the Euthansia program that was in effect during the 30s when Hitler first came to power. She queried the clerics in the Catholic Church and Stangl's family members. I don't know how else to describe this other than Sereny really did a thorough investigation to the best of her abilities to produce this book. She brought up issues that I had never thought about. She covered it all.
When I have read about the extermination camps before, I usually got them confused with the concentration camps. I never realized that all of the extermination camps were in Poland. I also never really realized that there were such an Anti-Semitic viewpoint in Poland. Things that I never really understood before was clarified in this book. Not only was this book a historical investigation of the Nazi regime and the extermination camp, it was also insights into different personalities throughout the period, other than Franz Stangl and his wife. There were survivors of the camp and how did they manage to survive. There were underground freedom fighters who witnessed these horrors with their own eyes. A common question among my generation is, why didn't they just get out? This book goes a long way into explaining that.
It is definitely an interesting book. While the main focus was on Franz Stangl, the Kommandant of Treblinka, the largest of the extermination camps, it covered a whole range of issues. It definitely did show the way into the darkness, the darkness of every human soul. While Sereny did her best in answering the question of why he stayed on, it is still unfathomable in its entirety.
6-06-06
An objective look at one man's crimes.......2005-07-13
I used to think anyone who was stupid enough to wear a swastika and call themselves a Nazi, regardless of their actions, deserved nothing less than the most heinous punishments the human mind could ever conceive. While I still believe this is true in many cases, reading the story of Franz Stangl, as revealed though Gitta Sereny's amazingly meticulous journalism, has made me think twice about it.
I dock her one star because of an error she made in reference to Jean François Steiner's astonishing masterwork, Treblinka, which she speaks of with undue contempt. Gitta says that Steiner had written in his book that SS man Max Bleias had a harem of Jewish boys liquidated on a whim one day when he became bored with them. This is not the case at all. In Steiner's Treblinka, the harem was liquidated by order of Kurt Franz only after Blieas' assassination by a prisoner.
Despite my deep and utter hatred of the Nazis I still found myself, as a man, and more importantly, as a human, able to sympathize with Franz Stangl. One asks themselves, "What would I have done in his place?" That should speak volumes about the quality of this book of incredible journalistic merit.
Why Do People Do What They Do?...remains unanswered........2003-10-21
Gitta Sereny was a British journo who had attended Franz Stangl's trial in 1970, and she had interviewed him in prison in Duesseldorf in 1971. She had also interviewed others, including survivors and keepers of Treblinka, as well as his wife and one of his daughters in Brazil. He was caught in 1967.
But just to be sure that the author's intense interest in this horrible subject left no doubt about her own conscience, she had made it clear to Stangl (and to her readers)...that she... "abhorred everything the Nazis had stood for and done."
It's a well written account of this SS Colonel's life and job, beginning with his involvement of the Nazi's euthanatia program, his first posting to Sobibor, his subsequent assignment as commandant of Treblinka, and his post war escape to Brazil via Italy and Syria. But the author digresses when she devotes 20 pages about the Vatican's probable Nazi sympathies.
We learn that Stangl was clever and practical in getting train-loads of people to shed their clothes and possessions and to walk into large "bath houses," complete with simulated sprinkler heads; and low volume ceilings to minimize the time of suffocation from the exhaust of the camp's 250hp diesel generator engine.
Curiously, we also learn that it took only a handful of real (home country) Germans to make Treblinka tick. The clever Germans in fact had delegated this killing business to this Austrian Stangl. And he in turn had recruited hundreds of Chekoslovaks and Ukrainians. Employed as guards, they would do all the dirty work. But they in turn would select healthy and strong arriving prisoners, called worker jews, and put them to work carrying the asphyxiated dead from the "baths" unto the open pit ovens, and then to shovel their ashes into holes dug into the earth.
The author is obsessed in finding out how and why an otherwise ordinary family man like this Stangl (and maybe all the other living Stangls in the rest of the World, and those yet to be born) could legitimize his conscience in being responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of people and continue to live a relatively normal life. But it's an age old question and it doesn't get answered. Not here and probably not ever. Largely, because it's impossible to get into people's minds.
And for that matter, the author could as well have asked the Colonel of the Enola Gay why and how on August 6th, 1945 he was able to overcome his conscience and nuke Hiroshima, knowingly killing 50,000 mostly innocent men, women and children in 2 seconds.
Even today, we live in a World that has gone mad, but life goes on.
Amazon.com
Sven Lindqvist, a traveler and historian, paints a broad-brush history of European colonialism, especially in Africa. Drawing his title from Joseph Conrad's fable Heart of Darkness, he turns up 19th-century newspaper accounts of British massacres of wounded Sudanese rebels after the siege of Omdurman, of German concentration camps in what was once called Southwest Africa, of a Belgian captain who decorated his flower beds with the heads of recalcitrant plantation workers. These incidents were not unusual, Lindqvist writes. Neither were they thought especially brutal by their perpetrators, for, he argues, colonialism was guided by a doctrine that placed Europe at the top of the evolutionary ladder and regarded non-Europeans as a separate species bound for extinction--a doctrine that found its ultimate expression in the Holocaust. This is an occasionally gruesome and always provocative study.
Book Description
A brilliant and unsettling intellectual history of Europe's genocidal colonization of Africa.
"Exterminate All the Brutes" is a searching examination of Europe's dark history in Africa and the origins of genocide. Using Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as his point of departure, Sven Lindqvist takes us on a haunting tour through the colonial past, interwoven with a modern-day travelogue. Retracing the steps of European explorers, missionaries, politicians, and historians in Africa from the late eighteenth century onward, the author exposes the roots of genocide in Africa via his own journey through the Saharan desert. As Lindqvist shows, fantasies not merely of white superiority but of actual extermination—"cleansing" the earth of the so-called lesser races—deeply informed European colonialism and racist ideology that ultimately culminated in Europe's own Holocaust.
Chosen as one of the Best Books of 1998 by the New Internationalist, which called it "a beautifully written integration of criticism, cultural history, and travel writing, underpinned by a passion for social justice," "Exterminate All the Brutes" is a powerful reckoning with the past and an indispensable contribution to the literature of colonial Africa and European genocide.
Customer Reviews:
Explaining genocide: "They were going to die anyhow...".......2007-04-02
"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace throughout the world the savage races." - Charles Darwin
The words "civilized" and "savage" are relative, as continually reminded by recent history and current events. Sven Lindqvist, in his spare, lucid, imaginative prose demonstrates the moral hypocricy of the "champions of civilization". Yes, this is a book that will be read with an accelerated heartbeat, more than a bit of anger and some tears amongst the more sensitive. It should also be an edifying experience even for the well read. I don't believe this book is about providing any particular group(s) with an extra burden of guilt; we all have more than our share of skeletons in our closets. The real message is, we humans, we all wallow in the same gutter.
Incredibly powerful and relevant still.......2006-11-26
Exterminate All the Brutes is brief and disturbing; Sven Lindqvist unveils the realities and moral convictions we have almost completely repressed. Just as the author suggests, the book shatters the image we have of ourselves, but even more importantly, it is distressing how relevant his ideas and Conrad's `Heart of Darkness' are in the world today - again.
The title of the book is taken from Joseph Conrad's 1902 classic novel - Heart of Darkness. In it, the main character, Kurtz, goes to Africa to bring progress and culture to the uncivilized continent. He is dispatched to Africa as an ivory procurement agent, and as the story develops the reader is confronted with the unreal brutality of the colonial rule. Conrad's work intertwines the themes of `light of civilization' and `darkness of barbarism' and makes reader realize the hollowness of these phrases as Kurtz surrounds himself with chaos and mayhem. Sven Lindqvist develops this theme as he traces the imperial history of European colonialism and condenses it to a single sentence: "Exterminate all the brutes." European world expansion, he claims, and the employed tactics of extermination are the truths we like to forget. Preferring to externalize we look at the Holocaust as a historical aberration, a smear on the path of progress and enlightenment brought to the world by the Western societies. However, as the author points out, just as all of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz, it would also be the European habits and political precedents that would lay the foundation for the atrocities of the Second World War. What was done in Africa, would be repeated in Europe - we know this, what we lack is the courage to face what we know and draw some conclusions.
The book culminates by pointing to the Holocaust, but one doesn't have to look far to see the same principles being applied in the world today; `Heart of Darkness' is applicable to every nation, culture and ideology. `Exterminate All the Brutes' is an incredibly powerful book.
A surreal examination of violence and its justification.......2003-07-14
I read this book in the winter of 2002-03, as the drive to war against Iraq was at a frenzied pitch. A few months later, on the day of the final ultimatum to Saddam, just before the bombing began, I was at my sister's house visiting. From the next room my nephew lets out a loud sigh, saying "I have to wait two more hours!" I thought he was referring to some show, but he was actually referring to the President's deadline to launch hostilities. So now, in America, war has become almost a staged form of entertainment which we can enjoy with our children from the comfort of our homes. I mention this because Exterminate All the Brutes has, for me at least, many moments which touch upon the surreal thought processes which help to justify the unjustifiable. It's easy to look back at dead empires and point out their evil deeds; less settling is the knowledge that, regardless of our many technological advancements and extreme wealth, we are of a civilization (one among many) that commits and condones extreme violence against the innocent, as long as it furthers the goals of those in power who profit from it. And we the people, like willing sheep, blindly accept the lies. This book makes us look deeper at the falsehoods, with the plea that when we next hear our leadership misguiding us, we can think for ourselves and reject the guilded call to war and slaughter.
Good, but not essential.......2003-06-10
I read this book as an undergrad, and was moved by it. I wasn't moved so much by the analysis of genocide, which I found pretty ordinary (but useful), but by his method of drawing on literary texts from the turn of the century, and his analysis of them. After reading this text, I went out and devoured Joseph Conrad's works, and I have never looked at H.G. Wells' work again in the same way. If you are interested in this literary period, or in linking these fiction works with the thought of European genocide, then get the book. If you are only interested in the roots of genocide, then check it out in the library before you buy it, to see if it will suit your purposes.
Horrifying But True.......2002-07-27
Here's a unique look at the Western world's impact on Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Its told in a sort of travelogue as the author travels through the Sahara. On the way he muses over Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", in which a European issues orders to solve the African native problem by "exterminating the brutes" The details of atrocities committed against indigenous populations in the Congo and elsewhere are horrific. The format leaves something to be desired as at times you're not sure whether you're in the present or back in the past, but perhaps that's what the author intended. Keep "Exterminate All the Brutes" in mind the next time you hear someone talking about bringing civilization to the savages.
Book Description
Faced with an identity crisis in his work and his life, seasoned traveler and journalist Jeffrey Tayler made a bold decision. He would leave behind his mundane existence in Moscow to re-create the legendary British explorer Henry Stanley’s trip down the Congo in a dugout canoe, stocked with food, medicine, and even a gun-toting guide. But once his tiny boat pushed off the banks of this mysterious river, Tayler realized he was in a place where maps and supplies would have no bearing on his survival. As Tayler navigates this immense waterway, he encounters a land of smothering heat and intense rains, wary villagers, corrupt officials and dead-eyed soldiers demanding bribes, jungle animals, mosquitoes, and, surprisingly, breathtaking natural beauty.
Filled with honesty and rich description,
Facing the Congo is a sophisticated depiction of today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country brought to its knees by a succession of despotic leaders. But most mportant, Tayler’s stunning narrative is a deeply satisfying personal journey of fear and awakening, with a message that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt compelled, whether in life or in fantasy, to truly explore and experience our world.
Customer Reviews:
Next best thing to a Congo journey.......2006-09-22
If you can't afford a trip to the Congo, this book is the next best thing. Tayler's descriptions are excellent, and they combine just the right measures of knowledge and fascinated innocence. What struck me most was how little Brazzaville had changed in the ten years since I lived there.
Gripping until the end, then it's Disheartening.......2006-06-13
Tayler makes modern day adventure to liven up a mundane existence seem almost reachable. Who doesn't fantasize about swashbuckling through adventuresome circumstances when they're sitting at their desk and doing their routine day-to-day life.
Tayler picked up and left everything to risk his own life to wake himself up, a somewhat romantic notion that only rich westerners can do. It's not until the end that he realizes that his own "rich boy" fantasies jeoporadized and compromised the native Congolese/Zairese in which he depended on for his safety. I didn't feel sorry for the author at all when he would get upset and yell at his guide Desi. Desi, who although somewhat annoying with his sermons, did save Tayler from being killed numerous times.
The poverty and everyday struggle that the Africans face in the Congo make Tayler's adventure besmirch of elitism and colonialism. The everyday descriptions of the people themselves make the book intense and rich, Tayler's adventure is secondary.
I also wondered why the author was so out of shape, you would think that he would have trained before embarking on such a physical journey... maybe if he wasn't so sluggish he actually could have accomplished his task rather than complain about aching joints so much and abort his trip halfway...
(Salt Lake City is one of the places Desi is trying to ennunciate)
"Facing the Congo" - Ten Years Later .......2006-02-04
It is not often that one has the opportunity to enjoy an excellent book, and then, have the pleasure to actually meet the author. So be it: Jeffrey Tayler is currently my houseguest in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where he began the arduous journey which resulted in "Facing the Congo" in 1995. The city has survived the devastation of civil war, 1997-2001, and is flourishing once again thanks to bountiful natural resources of timber, minerals and oil. Let's hope this will be enough to inspire Jeffrey to reprise his adventure on the Congo River and perhaps to share once again his experiences with a loyal following. A must read, not only for diplomats, travellers or tourists to the Central African region, but for the armchair "explorer" as well.
Inferior To Siberian Dawn.......2005-09-26
Tayler's story wasn't bad, it's just that the underdeveloped Congo with its many hardships made an inferior setting compared to post-Soviet Siberia. I didn't find this recounting of his journey nearly as interesting as I did the other book by him I read earlier in the year. Tayler has guts to make these one-man trips into the wildest places on earth, and I expect someday we'll just...stop hearing from him.
I'm Glad He Made This Foolhardy Journey.......2005-04-14
I've recently become a fan of Jeffrey Tayler's writing. Having just finished "Angry Wind" I quickly ordered two more of his books, including "Facing the Congo." It's quite a harrowing tale.
In the 1990s Tayler traveled up the Congo on a freight barge to Kisangani and back down on a native canoe (pirogue). Throughout the narrative I found myself cringing at some of the descriptions and wondering why anyone would put themselves through such a trial. In retrospect it was a very foolhardy adventure. The problem was, however, once he was in the middle of it there was nothing to do but finish, dangerous though it was.
Throughout the tale, Tayler's white face provokes and incites the people along the Congo River. There's no getting around it and at times his life is in real danger. One wonders, however, how he could come to some of the decisions he made. He hires a guide he barely knows, a guide whose incompetence is maddening. The guy buys a shotgun (with $300 of Tayler's money) that doesn't work, he lets his family use all the precious drinking water to do laundry and he spouts passages from the Bible and Zaire's employment law at night or while they're paddling downriver. What a nightmare.
The lives of the Zaireans, in many cases, appear to be hell on earth. Their hand-to-mouth existence causes them to take desperate action, resulting in corrupt officials and military constantly angling for bribes, fellow barge passengers begging Tayler for anything, boldly demanding he give them money and food or, worse, trying to rob him, or (if they could get away with it) murder him with machetes. As a "mondele" (white man) he's seen with great suspicion about his motives but also as a bottomless source for riches. The people along the Congo can't believe he's not there to pilfer their country of diamonds so he's faced with hostile reactions everywhere he goes.
The conditions on the barge are horrendous. People defecate into the river that they also use for water to drink and bathe in. They live off anything that swims or crawls, including crocodiles that get their skulls caved in, electric catfish and slimy slugs and live caterpillars consumed as snacks. Clouds of mosquitos and other insects torment them as does the never ending glare of the sun and the stifling humidity.
I'm glad Tayler made this journey. His descriptions of the conditions along the Congo are quite vivid. The frustration he feels being hit up for money all the time is certainly understandable. To travel to a place like that, when he did, with $4000 hidden on his person (an absolute fortune to the Africans) can only be described as foolhardy. Thank God he survived. We, the reading public, are richer for it.
Other reviewers have mentioned his tendency to squeeze too many obscure words into his prose. I agree. On the other hand, if we take the time to look them up we might learn something. I've studied a little French so his habit of slipping some of that language into the text didn't bother me. The day-to-day slog down the river from Kisangani got just a tad tedious but I'm sure it's nothing compared to actually doing it in a boat.
I'd highly recommend this book. I still don't know why Mr. Tayler undertook this adventure (he's very lucky to have made it home) but, as I said, the result is a gripping story. I'm now on to another of his works, "Glory In a Camel's Eye."
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