Political terrorism without equivocation—taking off from the Brink's holdup and shootout. "How common is political terrorism? How far back does it go? Is it a worldwide phenomenon?" Beginning, expertly, by putting thoughts in the reader's mind, Meltzer proceeds first to define political terrorism: "the exploitation of a state of intense fear, caused by the systematic use of violent means by a party or group, to get into power or to maintain power." He also notes, importantly, that "terrorism has become the weapon of many different ideologies (from extreme right to extreme left), religions, ethnic groups, nationalists." Then, he recounts the activities of terrorist groups from the 11th-century Muslim Assassasina (whence, of course, the word) through the French Revolution to: Russian anarchism (Bakunin, Nechayev, Herzen; Sophia Perovskaya and the assassination of Alexander II); "Terrorism, American Style" (the Reconstruction Klan, imported anarchism); the irish "Troubles"; the Irgun, and Palestinian-Jewish terrorism; the Palestinian-Arab terrorist network; Uruguay's Tupamaros and systematic terrorism; the Baader-Meinhof gang; Italy's Red Brigades; the Weather Underground; and spot-outcroppings today. Again and again, Meltzer notes misgivings, miscarriages, splits—concluding the Irish chapter, for example, with a strong anti-Sinn Fein statement by Conor Cruise O'Brien (and incorporating into the Palestinian-Jewish chapter Weizmann's opposition). But he saves his strongest arguments for the finale—enlisting revolutionaries Emma Goldman and Alexander Herzen to testify against "the end justifying the means," or "sanctifying crimes by faith in some remote utopia." Brisk, knowledgeable, incisive.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1983
ISBN: 0060241934
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1983
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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