2 comments about Benedita Da Silva: An Afro-Brazilian Woman's Story of Politics and Love.

1. The autobiography of Benedita de Silva is a must read narrative of this woman's heroic and incredibly human life. She balances tales of her victory in politics with her victory in love; it is easy to relate to and to admire her humanity and enduring spirit. The story traces her trajectory from the favelas (hillside slums in Rio de Janeiro) to the Senate, where she voices the needs of and injustices suffered by her community. Additionally, the book serves to illuminate many contemporary aspects of Brazilian culture: the rise of the PT (Brazil's grass-roots organized Workers' Party), Brazilian spiritual life, the myth of racial democracy in Brazil, class, gender, race, modernization, and history. This is a must read because Benedita's courage is worth emmulating, and her triumph deserves to be understood. Her victory deserves to be known, counted, and admired. You "owe" it to her to read this book. It will help you make more of your own day, week, month, and year when you have the benefit to have the tenacity of her spirit to challenge you and accompany you in the pursuit of your own dreams.



2. It is a tempting to describe Benedita da Silva using labels: you may know that she was the first black woman in the Brazilian Senate or that, in spite of her national prominence, she still lives in the poor neighbourhood where she grew up. An autobiography offers the chance to learn more about her life than these obvious labels allow.

   This short and highly readable book does indeed fill in some of the blanks for readers outside Brazil, who will find out more about, say, what it actually means to live in a favela (or slum). It is impossible, naturally, for Benedita to describe her life without considering how those slums came to be, and what should now be done to help the people who live there. Likewise, we may have heard that Brazil is a colourblind society, whereas Benedita's experiences, as a black person, lead her to see things differently. In this and other aspects of her life-as a woman, say, or as a rare combination of evangelical Christian and leftist politician-Benedita's memoirs naturally take us away from her particular circumstances and into areas of policy.

   In some ways, then, the book is satisfying but necessarily limited. As an autobiography it usefully covers the main events in her life but does not try to go into much detail. She relates many brief episodes that make revealing, even startling, points about, say, racism or life in the favela-rather than a sustained account of (to take another example) just how she first came to be involved in the local community association.

   On the other hand, her thumbnail sketches of current issues in Brazilian life and society-issues such as land reform, health and education, or the role of the churches-may indeed be helpful to those who know little about Brazil. Of course, given the nature of the book as a memoir, they don't enable us to get very far in analysing the relevant causes and prospects.

   If my last two paragraphs appear negative, they are only intended to point out that the book is too short for us to find out what "really" makes Benedita tick, much less to cover the complexity of modern Brazil. Nevertheless, the book is helpful and the translator has certainly come up with an easy style that makes it a pleasure to read. Even though I was already quite familiar with Brazil (having lived there, and speaking Portuguese), I still found this book intriguing and enjoyable.

5 comments about Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

1. This was a wonderful and engaging read. Not only were you given a clear picture of both Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but the book cites numerous powerful men and women who were active in the suffrage movement. This book is like a small taste of women's history that leaves you yearning for more. However, I wouldn't overlook this book just because it is not extremely specific, it is very helpful in getting a feel for the suffrage movement as a whole.



2. This book fills a glaring need in history books. Not many people know more about Susan B. Anthony than she was one the dollar coin. This book corrects that oversight, and then some. Not only does the book give a balanced and well thought out look at Anthony and Stanton, the reader is also introduced to many, many other women who worked so hard for women rights.
   I especially liked that the book didn't shy away from some of these women's more controversial stands, such as taking on the black person's cause.
   All in all, a very good book.



3. This book provides insight and history on the struggle that women went through to get the right to vote. It includes all kinds of interesting background and perspectives. It was a real eye opener for me and I'm giving it as a gift to all the young women I know.



4. This book was an eye opener for me. Every woman should read this book to understand the fight for our right to vote. These women devoted their lives to something they knew they would never even see in their live time! Its a story of courage and strength. It's makes one feel proud to be a woman.



5. This book is richly woven with details that dive into the true characters of these two beautiful souls. The book gives a truly amazing account of not only Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, but dives into their lives and characters. The reader obtains a true understanding of these women's motivations, techniques, skills, and contributions, in a brilliant biography with great quotes, accounts, photographs, and special archives directly from the time period of Susan & Elizabeth, relating to their work. Ken Burns & Geoffrey C. Ward have made quite an accomplishment with this extraordinary account.

1 comments about McCain: The Essential Guide to the Republican Nominee.

1. This book is on sale in supermarkets, and I spent time with both this book and its counterpart for Barack Obama.
   
   I recommend both books as coffee table books, lots of great photos and general information about the individuals, but this book is NOT a guide.
   
   There are no statistics, no tables, no comparisons, no meaningful GUIDE to who the candidate is and what they really stand for based on their actual behavior, votes, known acquaintances, etcetera.
   
   What would be extraordinarlily valuable, if the publishers want to do a fast make-over, is a SINGLE book that compares all four candidates On the Issues and on their Values and what it all means for the federal government's future, the budget's future, and the country's future.
   
   For an idea of what I am talking about, look online for "On the Isuses,"
   and see especially the way they plot on a map relative differences.
   
   See also the book below:
   
   The Political Junkie Handbook (The Definitive Reference Book on Politics)

5 comments about The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty.

1. I'll admit that I did not know what to expect when I encountered this book by Kitty Kelley. I only knew her works by reputation, and her previous subject matter - the Royals, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra - struck me as lightweight and gossipy. But I found myself unexpectedly with a few hours to kill and few titles from which to choose. So, I picked up "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Family," which tells the history of three generations of Bush politicians, Senator Prescott Bush and Bush 41 and Bush 43.
   
   First, let me say that the book is very readable. The only thing that might be a bit difficult is keeping track of the different names, as there are, for example, so many Georges and Prescotts. Kelley does what she can to assist by employing the nicknames used by Bush family itself. Some of them are actually endearing, such as "Poppy." Her prose carries the reader along easily.
   
   Second, let me say that the book was far more substantial than I expected. There was plenty, yes plenty, of politics in it. Kelley brings information together to show coherent patterns, exposing contradictions and lies.
   
   Third, I want to say that the book is, for the most part, fair. Kelley sometimes steps back to admire or acknowledge a deed or two. Prescott is admired for voting to censure Joe McCarthy (an act of political courage, as his constituents may have been pro-Joe). Bush 41 is admired for enlisting on his 18th birthday to fight in World War II (even though his parents were against his fighting in "Rockefeller's War"). Kelley also acknowledges that Bush 41's increase of taxes - and this hurt him badly in the re-election - put the economy in better shape for when Clinton entered office. Bush 43 is acknowledged to believe that he is a sincere Christian (although he rarely attends church). Kelley describes a charming incident, too, when Bush returns some money to a poor woman who contributed to his campaign.
   
   (A parenthetical note: how often do you hear the right-wing media positively acknowledge any deed of those whom they deem liberal? It's very, very rare, and very frustrating.)
   
   Despite these gleams of good, most of the book is negative with respect to the three men. Their talents can be described as mediocre at best, and pitiful at worst. They rarely have empathy for anyone but the Bushes. The lies that they tell - "Pernicious foolery" - expand from one generation to the next. They lie glibly about themselves; they lie viciously about their opponents. They pander to those who will vote for them or contribute to their campaigns. Many of the events have popped up in the media before; it's clear they are not invention. (I admit I was too young for the Prescott incidents.)
   
   A big question is: Why have the Bushes done what they have done? They seem to have mistaken a plaque on the wall for the satisfaction of genuine accomplishment. But they are desperate, almost slavering, to get that plaque on the wall. They lie and pander (to the NRA, for example) in order to get that plaque.
   
   And what's all this about poodles? The poodles are the media (see Kelley's Afterword) admitted to the White House - the poodles who have not done their work and informed the nation. The poodles who, hoping for another doggy biscuit or a chance to sit on the inner sofa, have let so many items go unchallenged. The poodles have hurt the Americans, who, thinking they were being informed appropriately, voted in the Bush-men
   
   Thanks Kelley - for not being a poodle!



2. For those of us who detest the Bushes, there is really no need to look for new reasons to hate. Having said that, I'm glad I read this book because it was enjoyable and cathartic while also serving as food for thought.
   
   It's really an anatomy of the mindset behind conservatism, as the Bushes come across not as instigators of the ugly sort of "conservatism" that now holds sway, but rather as a symptom. The current brand of conservatism that has plunged the USA into such a miserable state is based on the idea of life as a zero-sum game: an unending series of battles that necessarily require a winner and a loser. In this world view, there is no such thing as compromise for the greater good, so it is essential that one be on the winning side.
   
   Consistently throughout "The Family" we see the Bushes taking this stance as a means of becoming and remaining the ultimate victors. From the senior Bush's radical stand against the Civil Rights Act as a means of catapulting himself into the redneck center of Texas politics to his son's co-opting of the religious right to win backing among those he would be leaving economically disadvantaged, the naked cynicism of Bush maneuvering is masterful in that it is completely detached from any sort of a moral compass and instead driven by a keen understanding of people's fears of The Other.
   
   One amazing thing about "The Family" is that it comes across not only as an expose of the Bushes' ugliness but also as an convincing analysis of how they utilized the power of myths and images that easily resonate with Americans. We see exactly how truly despicable people are no more than a crystalization of all that is wrong with America.



3. There's not one nice thing said of any member of the Bush family here. Nope, not ONE nice thing. Across eighty-plus years and a couple dozen Bush figures, Kelley can't uncover a single deed by any of them that in her view merits her penning a single gracious compliment. No mention with any flattery (is there or did I miss something?) of former President Bush's service during World War Two, when the man might easily have stayed in college, no reference to how the current President's grandfather (eventually) opposed McCarthyism, no note conceded to the first President Bush's position among the top five Presidents of last century when it came to foreign policy, not EVEN a kind word for the charms of Millie, the White House Dog!
   
   But...I can't help but come back to one thing about this insomnia-curing exercise in gossip, and that is IF these things are true, then no matter how rude it might be to say all this, isn't it a valid exercise in journalism (stretching the word a bit) to print this?
   
   True tales or outright lies, I cannot like Kitty Kelley. She strikes me as one who glees in other people's troubles and mongers their problems and less flattering moments before all the world. She reminds me a lot of the sort Theodore Roosevelt was talking about a hundred years ago when he cited those types who do nothing on their own but are the first to sit back and criticise and mock those who do make an attempt at something.
   
   Bottom line is this. Most Bush foes will like this book, and most Bush fans will be outraged. Even I, who have little love for our current President, think this is trashy tabloid reporting at its most mercenary. Yet...I also suspect there's more truth here in Kelley's character-bashing than the sometimes ruthless Bush family would like to admit.



4. Imagine someone wrote a book about you, and after talking to everyone who hates you, compiled a list of every flaw and every mistake, intermingled with rumor and gossip presented as fact. This is the approach that Kelley takes, and while it does make for an entertaining book that's hard to put down, one feels a need to take a shower after reading it.
   
   A lot of Kelley's dirt is material of which even loyal Republicans were aware: We all accept that George W. is inarticulate, stubborn, and although he might have a high IQ, he's not an intellectual. Everyone knows about his history with alcohol and his checkered past as a businessman - points Kelley pounds at viciously and incessantly. More damning is her accusation that George W. had been cheating on his wife with a Midland prostitute who was threatened by CIA agents, and that he has a history of using cocaine. Is this true? Who knows? Kelley seems very thorough in her sourcing, but one gets the sense that she'd say it even if the source lacked credibility. Even when Bush does something positive, Kelley tweaks her wording to put the worst possible spin on the event, not realizing her book would have more credibility if she showed more evenhandedness.
   
   Prescott Bush, George Sr., and George W. each get roughly a third of the book. (Does anyone really care about Prescott?) As well, the women of the Bush family receive the Kelley treatment - Barbara, Laura, and the twins are all presented in a very negative light.
   
   I bought the 2005 Anchor paperback (although not from Amazon), and the binding fell apart despite gentle handling. I bought a replacement copy, and once again, the binding fell apart and chunks of pages fell into my lap.



5. I'm not American, so had never even heard of Prescott Bush, let alone many of the other characters in this book. And yeah it's pretty gossipy and Kitty Kelley is obviously no fan, but if (like me) you just want an easy to read overview of the Bush family that doesnt get too bogged down in American politics, I say this is for you. I read every word and came out knowing far more about right wing American politics than I knew before. Let me tell you, it wasnt the Bushes that shocked me, (scratch the surface of any family and you're bound to find pay dirt) it was the ratbag right wing fundamentalists that really gave me the creeps.
   Oooooh, scary.

5 comments about Evita, First Lady: A Biography of Evita Peron.

1. I fell in love last year. With Argentina. Having visited, I wanted to learn more and more. The musical Evita gave me a taste of the complexity of the fascinating story of one of Argentina's great figures. This book is a scholarly look at her life, her ups her downs, and includes many interesting photographs of Eva and Juan. I recommend it highly.



2. i enjoyed the book very much,i wanted to see the real person not the movie person.too bad she died so young,maybe she would have helped argentina more towards democracy.who knows? we never will. but i would have liked to have known her.



3. This is one biography that can tries to explain what made her tick. Close to 55 years since she died, Evita's mystery unravels slowly. Her childhood trauma is not enough to explain what drove her addictive need for power and bloodlust. If you admire powerful women, read this.



4. I am a biography buff. I prefer fact over fiction and read just about every autobiography and biography that I can get my hands on. Often I have found the need to read several biographies by various authors to get a clear picture and understanding of the subject's life and character. Not this time - Evita First Lady is an exquisitely written biography. It is not a bit of fluff but a riviting account of the life and times of one of history's most notorious first ladies. I highly recommend John Barnes' book.



5. I am very familiar with Latin American writers and read them in the Spanish. I read this book in Spanish even though it originally was in English! John Barnes is a very experienced journalist who was stationed in Bueonos Aires for various major publications. He has worked all over the world in places like Argentina, Chile. No. Ireland and covered the Iran Iraq was for Newsweek. With this background and talent he has crafted a facinating book about Eva Peron. It's true that there is a lot of politics but when you are first lady it goes with the territory. It's how she and Col. Peron transformed and revoluncionized Argentina just before the end of WW 11 that is so interesting. Evita left a little pueblo at 15 with no formal education, worked her way up to being a second rate actriz in their film industry. She fell in love with Col Peron many years her senior and took control of the country. It turnes out she was the brains and fierce driving spirit in the process who died at age 32. The major labor union petioned the Pope to have her cannonized a saint! I found this book by the pro John Barnes a real treat.

5 comments about My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror.

1. This is one of the least political autobiographies of a public servant in a political position in Washington.
   
   That's no reason, in my mind, to doubt the veracity of most of what Freeh writes. Those looking for conspiracy theores or outright condemnation of political adversaries will be disappointed. Freeh writes deeply of respect for a large number of persons, most notably FBI agents and fellow prosecutors.
   
   It does make for an interesting, amusing, but very non-combative read.
   
   Even Bill Clinton, who receives most of Freeh's ire for being more a politician than a manager, is also described as the most charming and disarming statesman.
   
   It's not that Freeh is afraid to talk ill of any of his former co-workers, but rather this is an autobiography of his public career.
   
   He doesn't take the opportunity to hammer home points about policy, but rather berates mismanagement, favoritism, and a lack of ethical focus.
   
   This is a good read for someone looking for a shining hero. This is not a good place to find dirt.



2. Freeh comes across early on as pompous and a phoney and it carries throught the book. He keeps remniding us what a great father he is because he has his kids drawings in his office. He is twice politically appointed yet rails against Clinton for being a politician. He seeths about the investigation of a bombing on Saudi soil and why Clinton would not let him interview the suspects...? I kept thinking Federal applies to the United States, not Saudi Arabia. It's that kind of arrogance that makes this book easy to put down. Plus, He never goes into ANY interesting detail on ANY investigation. And he OFTEN points out how he never really knew FBI agent turned spy Robert Hanssen. Hanssen went to the same church, their kids were in the same school....YET the same Freeh who says his style was to be among the troops claims to have barely known who he was. (BS) He also rails against Anything Clinton yet, everything Bush is AOK... This book is nothing more than a Swift-boat FBI poison pen letter.



3. In writing My FBI, Louis J, Freeh has given us a microscopic view of how the FBI works and the numerable problems he faced during his tenure. He comes across as honorable and hard working, telling the truth as he saw it. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend reading this book to learn about how the FBI operates and about the terroism that we face today.



4. Louis Freeh provides an interesting look into the world of the FBI. The book takes an overview approach with specific vignettes of his time at the organization and how it evolved (or lack thereof) over the years. Freeh was director during a turbulent time when trust in the FBI was at a low and worked one of the toughest cases in its history with the Kohbar towers investigation. This investigation is the focal point of the book and done very well. He also covers a lot with the Bob Hansen treason as well as other stories. The main problem with the book is that it is light on details and the chapters often ramble on without focus. The book would have been better off from an organizational standpoint with shorter chapters more pointed towards the topics. I would like to have seen lesser stories but the ones told in greater detail. Overall it is a useful primary source but not the definitive history of his role in the FBI during those years.



5. "My FBI" was a quick read and a very interesting look behind the scenes at the FBI in the 1990s. Freeh discusses background on the major cases the FBI handled during his tenure. This book gives insight that you didn't get from the news stories. One of the controversial subjects in the book was Freeh's relationship with President Clinton. This subject may turn off certain people, but the bottom line is that Freeh did not like working for Clinton. That is not a result of politics- because Freeh went out of his way to be apolitical. Most of it stemmed from the many investigations into the Clinton administration like Whitewater, Travelgate, etc. Another small part of the book I found to be interesting was Freeh's take on former "Counterterrorism Czar" Richard Clarke. Freeh writes that Clarke was never a major player in national security in either the Clinton or Bush White House. Freeh writes that Clarke was a second-tier player that was rarely at any of the important meetings. This has somewhat of a ring of truth in light of the way Clarke has tried to recast himself as a modern day Paul Revere of terrorism, after the fact. Somehow I don't buy his self-promotion, see-I told you so attitude. Anyway, overall a solid book for those interested in the FBI and national security issues.

5 comments about Homegrown Democrat.

1. I'm glad Keillor took the time to write this. Outspoken support of the Democratic Party was extraordinarily rare at the time this was published. It was common to see people wearing T-shirts equating a vote for John Kerry with support of terrorism. Frank and direct criticism of the Republican party's failed attempts at governing were also rare in 2004. Keillor's contributions here are valuable, but even more refreshing is the biographical context he provides. The details of his rural roots, his early life in a large family struggling to make ends meet, his devout religious faith and the joy he took in obtaining a college education form the true pleasures of this book.



2. Keillor is an old style democrat in both the small and large D sense. He is a bit of a bleeding heart liberal, which he makes no attempt to hide or excuse. There is no doubt that hard-core Republicans will deride the book as the product of a naïve do-gooder mentality.
   However, the historical evidence is overwhelmingly supportive of Keillor and his positions on the role of liberalism in making the overall quality of life better for people around the world. As Keillor points out so well, liberalism has been the driving force for nearly all of the dramatic social changes that have altered the world for the better.
   No one disputes that the programs against child labor and in support of mandatory education have led to a great deal of positive change. The increase in the overall educational level of the population has led to dramatic increases in productivity and has been the driving force for many to rise out of or avoid a life of poverty.
   The greatest single anti-poverty program for the elderly has been the social security program. Before it was implemented, a large percentage of the elderly lived on the thinnest of margins. After this Democratic program was enacted, the poverty rate among the elderly plummeted.
   Keillor also mentions how liberal St. Paul, Minnesota has a program whereby paramedics and other emergency workers are never more than a few minutes away from any location in the city. He contrasts that with other areas where cutting taxes has been the mantra and where it is almost impossible for paramedics to arrive within the critical time window that means the difference between life and death.
   Liberalism has been the driving force for so much positive social change that in some sense it has matured and mellowed to a point of weakness. Many of the people who so loudly proclaim their conservative credentials would never have had the opportunities to do so if it had not been for the existence of liberal activity. The world needs to be reminded of that and Keillor does that in an honest, forceful and humorous way.



3. There are really two Garrison Keillors. You are likely familiar with the first, the brilliant homespun humorist and storyteller on A Prairie Home Companion, which is broadcast from St. Paul, MN, Keillor's hometown, once a week on public radio. Keillor also does short (too short) bits daily on public radio under the title A Writer's Almanac, during which he talks about writers living and dead and actually reads poetry--poetry!-- on the air. It is through this venue that a more serious and scholarly-- though equally sensitive--Keillor emerges.
   
   In Homegrown Democrat, he tries to merge the two personas, with his serious side turned toward politics. Although he does not always achieve a smooth blending, often bouncing back and forth between the humorist and the social critic from one paragraph to the next, the book is a wonderfully worthwhile read, perhaps especially because it does give us a broader exposure to the mind and thought of this champion of American bedrock values with a perennial twinkle in his eye.
   
   A graduate of the University of Minnesota, the author is obviously an intellectual. Yet, more than perhaps any city-dwelling writer today, he has maintained a strong connection with, and affection and respect for, the lives and cares and ideals of average people. He opens the book with the Golden Rule, which, among other things, he says, formed his basic morality. Although he came to maturity in the 1960s, he says that he was more influenced by the values of his parents' generation than by the events of that time. More than once in the book he writes: "liberalism is the politics of kindness," and he goes on to list a few things that "do-gooder Democrats have done" for us all: civil rights legislation, opportunities for girls to participate in sports, clean air, Medicare, the right to abortion, public consideration for the handicapped (as in building construction), improved law enforcement, and an overall greater level of tolerance in society. The only major "gap in the social compact" that he sees is the lack of universal health care, about which he says, "our denial of the benefits to so many is downright stone-hearted."
   
   In contrast, he calls the Republicans the "screw-you party"--which even screws its own. He notes (as have others) that what he calls the "corporate Bourbon wing" of the party gets the tax cuts and deregulation, while "the Bibleists get a few vague gestures on symbolic issues such as gay marriage and school prayer." As an example, he notes, disdainfully, that CEOs (based on the latest data available in 2004) now earn 476 times as much as the average worker¬¬--up from 42 times as much in 1980.
   
   The only times Keillor stumbles are when he uses excessive hyperbole in attacking the conservatives. Thus, for example, in positing a hypothetical marriage law of the future, he says: "Marriage...shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman, or, in Utah, women." Unfortunately, if truth be told, the Mormon Church banned polygamy years ago. This, of course, is the humorist bothering the social commentator while he writes, but such exaggeration does little except to dull blunt the force of the author's otherwise valid criticisms.
   
   Despite the above caveat, this is a special book. It is not an episode of Prairie Home Companion in print, although there is much of the show's gentle poking-in-the-ribs to get us to laugh at ourselves and poignant description and storytelling to help us to look at ourselves and others more closely. There is also much solid displeasure here, based on the author's feeling that as a nation and a culture we are turning away from the values that make democracy possible and life worth living. As with Keillor's broadcasts, you'll come away feeling satisfied.



4. Well, Keillor is truly a gift to the nation and as a fellow Midwesterner, so much of his story resonates with my own experience.
   This book recounts the good that government can do; it is, after all, what civilizes us.
   For the Republicant's - can't do public schools, so quit, can't have a United Nations, so quit, can't trust your fellow Americans, so gate yourself off to count your money - be warned! You may not like what you're about to read!



5. Very good reading.
   A hard book to find anywhere else, especially at this great price.
   
   The service from Amazon was exceptionally good.I thought.

1 comments about Lincoln and His World: The Early Years, Birth to Illinois Legislature.

1. This book is absolutely captivating. It is one of the best biographies I have ever read--one truly has a feel for what Lincoln's world was like during his childhood and early adulthood. Can't wait for the sequel.

1 comments about The Kevin Woods Story: In the Shadows of Mugabe's Gallows.

1. This account by Kevin Woods of his nearly 20 years as a political prisoner in Zimbabwe is one of the most poignant, honest, and stirring stories I've ever read. One does not have to know much about Zimbabwe, or the reasons behind Woods' double agent status, to gain immense inspiration from reading how this man managed to survive the overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair during his long incarceration and isolation from the world. That one important element, alone, of his story makes it worth the read! Kevin Woods is a wordsmith and has a unique ability to convey to the reader the range of emotions he experienced during those horrific years, interspersed with his very astute observations about his surroundings.
   
   For those who want to fill in the blanks regarding the genocide in Matabeleland (in western Zimbabwe) in the early years of Mugabe's ongoing reign of terror, Kevin Woods provides real insight into that massacre. As an agent for South Africa during the 1980's, while simultaneously serving as a high-ranking agent in Mugabe's Central Intelligence Organization, Kevin was in a unique position to see two sides of the conflict up close and personal, all of which makes for some fascinating, yet sobering, reading.
   
   There are also personal photos, newspaper accounts and documents, and a nice sampling of the author's beautiful color drawings that he sent as gifts in his letters to those around the world who corresponded with him during his imprisonment. Some sketches by renown artist Craig Bone are an added bonus in this book ... and there is so much more. I highly recommend the book!

No comments about Cravan: Mystery Man of the Twentieth Century.