Amazon.com
This is the exciting and highly literate story of the real Lawrence of Arabia, as written by Lawrence himself, who helped unify Arab factions against the occupying Turkish army, circa World War I. Lawrence has a novelist's eye for detail, a poet's command of the language, an adventurer's heart, a soldier's great story, and his memory and intellect are at least as good as all those. Lawrence describes the famous guerrilla raids, and train bombings you know from the movie, but also tells of the Arab people and politics with great penetration. Moreover, he is witty, always aware of the ethical tightrope that the English walked in the Middle East and always willing to include himself in his own withering insight.
Book Description
The monumental work that assured T.E. Lawrence's place in history as "Lawrence of Arabia." Not only a consummate military history, but also a colorful epic and a lyrical exploration of the mind of a great man who helped shape the Middle East as it exists today.
Customer Reviews:
A Unique Masterpiece.......2007-09-25
This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.
The Hejaz War.......2007-06-10
The Hejaz War of 1917 was written by Colonel T.E. Lawrence at the Paris peace talks in 1920 -21. Lawrence understood the Arabs thay did not conquer territory but they brought the Arab tribes together to conquer the Ottoman Turkish Army whom they considered poor soldiers. The Hejaz is the Red Sea coast parallel to the extinct lava fields of the 3,000m high Hejaz mountains. The Hejaz railway, linking Damascus with Medina, was attacked by Lawrence's Hejaz army until the Turks could no longer repair it. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the bible of Guerilla Warfare and should be read by General Petraeus US Armed Forces Commander, Iraq.
The taking of Damascus intact in 1918 by the arab army before General Allenby's allied army at least ensured Sheikh Feisal became King of Iraq. The Sykes -Picot treaty of 1916 ensured the Middle East was divided up by Britain and France directly leading to the present Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Stylistic autobiography with insight.......2007-01-09
Mr. TE Lawrence was not only a gifted tactician/strategist but also a scholar of the highest order. His writing style is rich and descriptive avoiding the dry pitfalls sometimes associated with autobiographies. The story of the Arab revolt from the man who helped shape and guide it is an invaluable resource to have. TE Lawrence's thoughts on irregular/unconventional warfare are insightful and still lessons to be rememembered today. An enjoyable and insightful read- perfect for any military history collection.
Learning the Arab way.......2007-01-05
For me, the complexity of the Middle East seemed unfathomable. By reading this book, carefully, delving into the author's text, I have a better understanding of the people of the Middle East and their many tribes and cultural ways. I also can begin to understand their rivalries and methods of dealing with each other. It is a very complex society that will take the USA years to understand and deal with.
Extraordinary - History and the Man.......2006-11-10
At a critical time, the right man steeped forward (if somewhat indirectly) to encourage an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. This classic war novel is more than the usual, as it reveals a character tortured with self analysis.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism. An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.
Customer Reviews:
Additional resources for the unenlightened.......2007-06-23
I commented several months ago on a post made by Mike-in-the-Middle, asking for more resources to help a beginner (me) without easy access to a roshi who could offer clarity on Zen/Buddhist ideas. I have since received several emails which offered more resources for me to check out, and I'd like to share these resources with you.
Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor. This one is obviously of a secular bent, and I've been reading it off and on since I purchased it. It's a bit. . . scholarly, with some big 50-cent words, if you know what I mean. You definitely need a quiet place to be able to focus on his intellectual renderings, but if you can get into it, it's very insightful. Although it's "intellectual" and contains "big words," it doesn't contain a lot of the mysterious and otherworldly terminology of other such books written by Zen/Buddhist disciples. The book shows how you can practice the tenets of Buddhism without necessarily buying into all the religious aspects.
The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga: Paths to a Mature Happiness by Marvin Levine. This is the book I am currently reading. Mr. Levine makes a good comparison between the tenets of Buddhism (and yoga) and those of Western Psychology, both of which seek to put the person in touch with his/her true self. He also gives advice, gleaned from his own life and journey, about how to incorporate the ideas into your life. This book is VERY readable; Mr. Levine goes out of his way to make this book accessible to the lay person. I'm enjoying this one very much. (It doesn't have to be QUITE so quiet at my house in order for me to get into it. =)
Also recommended to me, but which I haven't yet checked out, are the following books:
Here is a short email I received.
"Saw a comment you left on a review of 3 Pillars of Zen mentioning you were looking for a good place to start. For me, the perfect start was "Buddhism Plain and Simple" by Steve Hagen. It's short, inexpensive and simple. Then I went to his website and downloaded all his free audio talks to listen to on my commute, and now i feel i can approach more advanced zen books quite comfortably (but start with the book before the audio stuff).
Another book recommended was Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck.
I hope these books will help some of you on your journey.
=)
Laurie
(Lovejoy444 at a o l dot com)
A wonderful beginning..........2007-04-13
I purchased this book around 40 years ago, when my interest in zen was very new. I read it and kept it. Recently, I picked it up again, and began re-reading it. The amazing thing was that I felt strongly that this book alone would have been nearly enough; I could have saved a lot of time and money. It isn't about books, of course, but a book can be as real as anything else. This book is that. This book is about real people and zazen, and zazen is the chief method by which one learns to go about empirically developing awareness. It will sit well with you.
The Best of it's Kind.......2006-12-13
I've read a few books on Zen meditation, and this is definitely the best one out there. It's truly the only book on the subject you need. This book teaches the basics of zazen meditation in an easy to read fashion. You'll find the meditation technique taught in this book to be extremely calming and serene.
Even if you're not looking for a book on meditation, this book gives some excellent commentary and history on Buddhism and the Buddha. The book also has great drawings showing the different meditation postures and how they can be adjusted. Most of all, this book offers a wonderful learning experience to those that are new to Zen meditation or for the experienced pro. There's something in here for everybody. It's a wonderful read and I often felt a sense of peace just in flipping through the pages.
Incredibly simpe yet powerful depiction on Zen. .......2006-07-02
Unlike other books that were written about Zen, one thing that one would suddenly notice in this book is that; it does not contains too much philosopical of Zen that often make ourselves attached to the 'beauty' which in itself devoid the ultimate purpose of Zen which is 'satori'.
This book, in my opinion, has reflected the deepest and the most profound level of Zen than any other books could possibly do. The content of the book is by far is the most comprehensive, straight to the point explanation that would be extremely valuable for anyone interested in Zen to perhaps masters in Zen.
The conciseness of this book really depicted in its title. The Tree Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice and Enlightment. Providing step by step lecture, instruction, real-life story, with some combination of old masters letter and commentary on various Koan, instruction on Zazen - it is by far, and can't be stressed more, that this book is the most complete , well-rounded, and straightforward book that would lead dedicated Zen's practice to enlightment.
The Drama of Practice.......2005-07-23
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It is the book which really brought me to spiritual practice; for that, I will always be grateful. It was, however, the same things about it which first drew me in, that I now find problematic.
If you are at all open to practice it is hard not to find this book exciting. There is great drama in the stories of those struggling against all odds to achieve enlightenment. It is that sense of drama which I find problematic. There is a sense of striving encouraged by this book and practice at Rochester. Metaphors of climbing a mountain are used; we are encouraged to "push harder.' But who is striving? There is an underlying sense of dualism in this flavor of practice. While that drama of achieving something is perhaps helpful for those difficult early stages of practice, it is ultimately a poison. Traditional Zen practice, such as that described here, pits you in a battle against your ego. Such warfare can, in the end, only be ego building.
This is a modern Zen practice in that there is an explanation of the "theory" of practice. At one time you just sat, heard talks on Koans, and had very brief interviews with your teacher. Eventually, you would either get it or not (mostly not, I believe). Of course, in that more historically traditional practice you would have been a monk totally removed from the concerns of the day-to-day world. I think that the practice described by Kapleau Roshi is still too close to those traditional monastic roots.
My experience at traditional Zen Centers is that they are beautiful and that meditation practice there has a sense of percptible strength-it seems quite grounded. The trouble comes when people are off the cushions. I can't say that I see a great deal of impact of practice on peoples lives. There is still plenty of confusion and reactivity. There is still an attachment to personal drama. I had teachers tell me that the first step is for people to break through and see who they really were; later they would integrate. I am not sure that step two generally occurs.
What, ultimately, is the point of Zen practice? To have an enlightenment experience? Does that drive for kensho come from a need to experience the truth of our life or does it come from a need to fix ourselves? Most of us are driven by this latter need. To the extent that our motivations remain invisible, we can't truly metabolize our experience. We "own" rather than live our realization.
My bias is that practice serves life best when it takes on our whole life as a koan. Our life becomes less of a soap opera and becomes more mundane. From that ordinariness emerge joy, compassion, love and all of the other aspects of our true nature. You might have fewer of the kind of lightening bolts of a traditional practice. Instead, you will have a grounded life which brings peace rather than pain into this world.
Customer Reviews:
a revised edition of the 1922 Oxford Text.......2007-01-07
First, let me say I do not own this edition, but I have looked through it. I own a copy of the original 1922 Oxford Text of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. T E Lawrence felt his original text was too long, so he made two revisions, of which this is one. Bernard Shaw felt his original 1922 Oxford Text was a masterpiece needing no editing. Although the revisions do not flow as well as the original text, this is and will always be considered a literary masterpiece. Whether you're interested in history, cultural awareness and/or travel, this will always be an outstanding book.
I had not the patience to triumph over it.......2006-06-19
This is the book upon which the fabulous film "Lawrence of Arabia" was supposedly based. I expected the book to be the same story, only with more depth and more meat to it. Instead, I discovered two things: the film is only loosely based upon the book; the book is more of a journal than a novel.
Film versus Book: In several instances, the film takes two to five different people and condenses them into one character. More accurately, a character in the film represents one real person, but engages in the activities of two to five different people, whereas the book tries to fairly attribute actions to the right person, creating a much larger cast. This does three things: the film's characters become larger-than-life (which fits an epic film well), this makes the film's story move faster and be somewhat more straightforward than the book's, and this levels the playing field (by condensing the other characters, they are more comparable to Lawrence's character in the film, whilst the book's non-central characters are always in Lawrence's shadow).
Journal versus Novel: The film's story moves linearly and, despite the film's length, the story moves quickly. Only necessary details are shown. In the book, Lawrence gives an account of his daily activities, with sidebar accounts of what happens elsewhere that affects him, creating a very detailed and somewhat disjointed narrative. In my opinion, the story drowns in its own details.
Overall: The film is actually a distillation of this book, and not a cinematic rendering of the same story. If a reader wants to understand the Middle East, from the perspective of an Englishman with sympathy for and understanding of the Arabs, this is an excellent book. If the reader wants an adventure saga, comparable to the glorious "Lawrence of Arabia", look elsewhere or risk disillusionment.
A view of warfare from a bygone era.......2005-11-02
I will echo the sentiments of previous reviewers in extolling the remarkable style of Seven Pillars...the detailed descriptions of the desert and the bedu bring the reader right into the book.
I was taken aback by the distinct differences between the book and the movie, even with having a good working knowledge of this era. For those who only know Lawrence from the movie, please read this book to get a more balanced perspective of Lawrence, and his role in the Arab Revolt.
What is not commonly known is that Lawrence did have his detractors, who also published their versions of the Revolt. Of note, Maj N.N.E Bray wrote "A Paladin of Arabia" about Leachman, who Bray believes Lawrence attempted to emulate; and also "Shifting Sands". By having read all 3 books, it might level the playing field, and ascertain some ground truth about a truly remarkable facet of WWI.
THis book is a must for WWI history buffs, and also for those who are interested in the emergence of the ARab Nationalist movement, and the origins of how the Middle East came to be what we know of it today.
5 Stars, an amazing read.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom -Op/21.......2005-09-22
This is my second round with this book. I read the book while in high school and enjoyed the book very much. This time I'm reading the book for pure enjoyment. I spent time in the middle east and understand the mind set a little better.
Lawrence hits the nail on the head all through the book when describing the way things were and at times continues to be in the region.
the laurence of arabia story.......2004-01-19
the movie is well known--this is the biography from te laurence detailing the fascinating military life of the british officer amongst the arabs bedouin as they took on the turks. i read a first edition copy of this book and it had some incredible sketches in the book
Book Description
National bestselling author Anne Bishop's novels have been praised as "genuine gems" (SF Site) and "lavishly sensual" (Library Journal). Now, she unveils an exciting new universe in her most powerful, provocative story to date...
The young witch Ari finds herself torn between the world of mortals and the world of the Fae-for the roads between the two lands are vanishing into thin air...
"A storyteller of stunning intensity." (Romantic Times)
Customer Reviews:
A must-read.......2007-09-08
This book is not set in the world of the Black Jewels trilogy, and it is less violent and dark; and the characters are not as deep or engaging as the ones from Black Jewels. Nevertheless, it is a thrilling read.
Pillars of the World has a complex well-thought out plot line that twists and bends, much to the reader's exultation and surprise. It mostly revolves around Ari, a young witch whose family has died and left her alone in the world. Her friend Neall and her neighbor Ahern help her as much they can; however, Ari's life takes a turn when she meets a Fae lord. The world of the Fae is disappearing bit by bit, and the Fae continually visit Ari, because they believe that she is the key to finding out why their world is vanishing.
Meanwhile, a man called the "Witch's Hammer" decides to eradicate the witches and their magic from the land. He tortures the witches until they confess and then kills them.
I would recommend this book to all Anne Bishp fans, as well as Science Fiction/Fantasy fans, because it is well worth reading.
The Fae stand alone ..........2006-07-27
I was prepared to be disappointed with this title; I had read that the World of the Fae paled in comparison to the Realms of the Blood. Like many other Bishop fans, I was obsessed with the Black Jewels trilogy and longed for more of Bishop's writing. The thought of reading something less gratifying than the Black Jewels novels didn't appeal to me; but, I soon ran out of Bishop material and decided to give the Tir Alainn trilogy a shot. Here's what you need to know: the World of the Fae IS NOT the Realms of the Blood; literally. I don't think it's reasonable to expect the two to be exactly alike. What would be the point if they were? The World of the Fae is not as dark as the Realms of the Blood. It is not as sensual. It is very different; but, that shouldn`t discourage you from reading the Tir Alainn novels. The Fae are intricately complex characters; they are both endearing and contemptible ... especially Dianna and Lucian. They have very little respect for humans and treat them as playthings. The humans in the tale are fantastically flawed, morally lacking, and exceedingly naïve (which can be a good thing; it makes them all the more interesting). Ari (the central character), though likeable, is sometimes frustratingly foolish. At one point in the story, I was so outraged by her stupidity that I had to put the book away for a little while. However, Morag more than makes up for any other character disappointment. Though Fae, she stands distinctly apart from the other members of her race; she is deeply empathetic towards humans, but maintains the distance characteristic of her people. She is enigmatic, complex, and terrific literary company. Overall, "Pillars of the World" is surprisingly rewarding. It does get off to a slow start; but, once you get past the basic character and plot development and into the meat of the story, it becomes extremely engaging; so much so, that I bought the remaining novels in the trilogy and am genuinely looking forward to reading them. If you are a fan of Anne Bishop's, or a fan of female-directed fantasy, this title is well worth the effort.
Pillars is a fun read for Bishop fans.......2006-07-02
As a big fan of the Dark Jewels trilogy (along with prequel and anthology), I knew that this series would be on my list of must reads being by Anne Bishop. She didn't dissapoint me. The storyline flowed, the characters were wonderful (even if you loved to hate them) and the themes in the book were interesting and easy to follow along without being entirely too predictable.
A good read for any Anne Bishop fan. Even if you do prefer the Dark Jewels stories better (which I do), this is still a very fun read!
Okay, Not Great ...Mercedes Lackey-Lite?.......2006-05-05
The Pillars of the World is a story about a young Wiccan named Ari and the changing climate of a world which is growing increasingly misogynist due to a witch-hunter named Adolpho. Ari must struggle against rising hatred of her people, the scheming of interfering Fae, and her growing attraction to Neall a noble's son.
I started off enjoying Pillar of the World, but I quickly became bogged down with preaching about the evils of men, the glory of Wicca, and the endless POV switches between Ari her Fae neighbors. I prefer novels which follow the adventures of at most two different characters, but in this story the author switches between nearly half a dozen. I found this annoying. If the Fae are so great, why not give them their own books, why must we read about them when they aren't main characters?
I also didn't care for either of the relationships in this novel. Lucian seemed to old for Ari (and too much of a user), and Neall seemed a tad spineless. The over-the-top mother-hating villain was way too trendy suspenders for me.
Overall, a bland novel, with occasional hints of brilliance.
Doesn't live up to her other books at all.......2006-03-12
Having read and absolutely adored the Black Jewels trilogy, I assumed this series would be more of the same, and was eager to get my hands on a copy. Little did I know how much of a disappointment was in store for me.
I was expecting the rich, dark fantasy/romance of her other books. What I got was a trite, cliched romance novel with bland characters I simply couldn't make myself care about in the slightest. There was nothing redeeming or interesting about any of the characters at all. Even the story wasn't good enough to keep me going--it read as nothing more than a cliched, Wiccan-oriented retelling of the so-called Burning Times. Yes, this could have been interesting were it done properly, but as it was...
Anne Bishop is not a terrible author, but this is a terrible series. I honestly cannot say I would recommend it to anyone. If you want a good read, pick up Daughter of the Blood or Sebastian. Don't waste your time with these.
Customer Reviews:
An incredibly moving and powerful book.......2002-09-08
I love reading the work of Arab women writers so I was happy to try reading Fadia Faqir. The book centres upon the stories of two women in an insane asylum in Jordan. As the book unfolds, the stories of the women and how they come to be in the asylum is told. The book must be read in order to appreciate the beauty of the writing. Ms. Faqir is able to powerfully relate the stories of the two women making each one compelling. Never have I read such an incredible description of the pain and grief associated with losing a loved one as in this book; it is not for the faint of heart. Anyone who just loves beauty would adore this book and also "Memory in the Flesh" by Ahlam Mostaghemi.
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The Pillars of Islam
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Study of Liturgy
ASIN: 0195655354 |
Book Description
The Pillars of Islam was the culmination of Nu'man's more than thirty years of effort in the field of jurisprudence. Considered to be the greatest authority on Isma'ili law, this work is essential for scholars and students of Islamic law.
Book Description
Assemblies of rectangular stone pillars, or stelae, fill the plazas and courts of ancient Maya cities throughout the lowlands of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras. Mute testimony to state rituals that linked the king's power to rule with the rhythms and renewal of time, the stelae document the ritual acts of rulers who sacrificed, danced, and experienced visionary ecstasy in connection with celebrations marking the end of major calendrical cycles. The kings' portraits are carved in relief on the main surfaces of the stones, deifying them as incarnations of the mythical trees of life.
Based on a thorough analysis of the imagery and inscriptions of seven stelae erected in the Great Plaza at Copan, Honduras, by the Classic Period ruler "18-Rabbit-God K," this ambitious study argues that stelae were erected not only to support a ruler's temporal claims to power but more importantly to express the fundamental connection in Maya worldview between rulership and the cosmology inherent in their vision of cyclical time. After an overview of the archaeology and history of Copan and the reign and monuments of "18-Rabbit-God K," Elizabeth Newsome interprets the iconography and inscriptions on the stelae, illustrating the way they fulfilled a coordinated vision of the king's ceremonial role in Copan's period-ending rites. She also links their imagery to key Maya concepts about the origin of the universe, expressed in the cosmologies and mythic lore of ancient and living Maya peoples.
Customer Reviews:
timeless classic of guerrilla warfare.......2007-09-11
One sees through Lawrence's eyes the failure of standard military doctrine and the success of classic guerilla doctrine. The pinnacle of the book arrives as he lays in his tent, pondering the aims of the Arab rebellion. Insights then flow which remind one very much of Sun Tzu's "formlessness" and "substance/vacuity" principles in the Art of War.
I guess every generation has to learn the basic truths itself, and our recent experience in this part of the world has driven home the timeless truths that Lawrence so eloquently elucidated. Read this one.
Desert War in Arabia.......2005-03-01
In his book 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom', T.E. Lawrence describes his role in the joint British-Arab effort to extirpate the Turks from Arab lands in World War I. His decision to subtitle the book 'A Triumph' is ironic, given that throughout the book he makes repeated reference to his role in the ultimate betrayal of the Arab cause at Versailles in 1919. Thankfully, this does not detract from the story itself which is by turns funny, sad, gruesome and inspiring.
Portions of this book appear to drag on interminably, especially the march to Akaba. Also, Lawrence displays a weakness for philosophizing and self-criticism which at times threatens to destroy ones interest in the story. This is, however, balanced off by (1) his unique and exciting perspectives on the strategy and tactics of desert raiding, circa 1918, and (2) by the final 200 pages describing the Allies' ultimate defeat of the Turks in August-September 1918, which is riveting.
Whether The Seven Pillars of Wisdom can be studied with profit in our time is a difficult question to answer. It is tempting to think that the innumerable little lessons concerning guerrilla warfare in Arabia will be of enduring value to some people today. In particular, Lawrence's descriptions of the complex inter-relationships between military and political strategy at the tribal level are relevatory. Even those who care little about the war itself should find much to recommend this book, including a useful geographic and socio-political sketch of Arab history, repeated and lengthy accounts of various locals in the Arabian peninsula, descriptions of Arab tribal customs and relations of this period and, finally, insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the nomadic, Bedouin mind. Ultimately, it is this information may prove most interesting and valuable in the years ahead, especially to those seeking peace and security in Arabia and beyond.
Amazon.com
Pillar of Fire is the second volume of Taylor Branch's magisterial three-volume history of America during the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Branch's thesis, as he explains in the introduction, is that "King's life is the best and most important metaphor for American history in the watershed postwar years," but this is not just a biography. Instead it is a work of history, with King at its focal point. The tumultuous years that Branch covers saw the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the beginnings of American disillusionment with the war in Vietnam, and, of course, the civil rights movement that King led, a movement that transformed America as the nation finally tried to live up to the ideals on which it was founded.
Timeline of a Trilogy
Taylor Branch's America in the King Years series is both a biography of Martin Luther King and a history of his age. No timeline can do justice to its wide cast of characters and its intricate web of incident, but here are some of the highlights, which might be useful as a scorecard to the trilogy's nearly 3,000 pages.
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Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63 | |
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May: At age 25, King gives his first sermon as pastor-designate of Montgomery's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. |
1954 |
May: French surrender to Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu. Unanimous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board outlaws segregated public education. |
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December: Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus, leading to the Montgomery bus boycott, which King is drafted to lead. |
1955 |
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October: King spends his first night in jail, following his participation in an Atlanta sit-in. |
1960 |
February: Four students attempting to integrate a Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter spark a national sit-in movement.
April: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is founded.
November: Election of President John F. Kennedy |
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May: The Freedom Rides begin, drawing violent responses as they challenge segregation throughout the South. King supports the riders during an overnight siege in Montgomery. |
1961 |
July: SNCC worker Bob Moses arrives for his first summer of voter registration in rural Mississippi.
August: East German soldiers seal off West Berlin behind the Berlin Wall. |
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March: J. Edgar Hoover authorizes the bugging of Stanley Levinson, King's closest white advisor. |
1962 |
September: James Meredith integrates the University of Mississippi under massive federal protection. |
April: King, imprisoned for demonstrating in Birmingham, writes the "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
May: Images of police violence against marching children in Birmingham rivet the country.
August: King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech before hundreds of thousands at the March on Washington.
September: The Ku Klux Klan bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church kills four young girls. |
1963 |
June: Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers assassinated.
November: President Kennedy assassinated. | |
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Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-65 | |
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November: Lyndon Johnson, in his first speech before Congress as president, promises to push through Kennedy's proposed civil rights bill. |
March: King meets Malcolm X for the only time during Senate filibuster of civil rights legislation.
June: King joins St. Augustine, Florida, movement after months of protests and Klan violence.
October: King awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and campaigns for Johnson's reelection.
November: Hoover calls King "the most notorious liar in the country" and the FBI sends King an anonymous "suicide package" containing scandalous surveillance tapes. |
1964 |
January: Johnson announces his "War on Poverty."
March: Malcolm X leaves the Nation of Islam following conflict with its leader, Elijah Muhammad.
June: Hundreds of volunteers arrive in the South for SNCC's Freedom Summer, three of whom are soon murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
July: Johnson signs Civil Rights Act outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
August: Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin resolution authorizing military force in Vietnam. Democratic National Convention rebuffs the request by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to be seated in favor of all-white state delegation.
November: Johnson wins a landslide reelection. |
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January: King's first visit to Selma, Alabama, where mass meetings and demonstrations will build through the winter. |
1965 |
February: Malcolm X speaks in Selma in support of movement, three weeks before his assassination in New York by Nation of Islam members. | |
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At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 | |
March: Voting rights movement in Selma peaks with "Bloody Sunday" police attacks and, two weeks later, a successful march of thousands to Montgomery.
August: King rebuffed by Los Angeles officials when he attempts to advocate reforms after the Watts riots. |
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March: First U.S. combat troops arrive in South Vietnam. Johnson's "We Shall Overcome" speech makes his most direct embrace of the civil rights movement.
May: Vietnam "teach-in" protest in Berkeley attracts 30,000.
June: Influential federal Moynihan Report describes the "pathologies" of black family structure.
August: Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act. Five days later, the Watts riots begin in Los Angeles.
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January: King moves his family into a Chicago slum apartment to mark his first sustained movement in a Northern city.
June: King and Stokely Carmichael continue James Meredith's March Against Fear after Meredith is shot and wounded. Carmichael gives his first "black power" speech.
July: King's marches for fair housing in Chicago face bombs, bricks, and "white power" shouts. |
1966 |
February: Operation Rolling Thunder, massive U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, begins.
May: Stokely Carmichael wins the presidency of SNCC and quickly turns the organization away from nonviolence.
October: National Organization for Women founded, modeled after black civil rights groups. |
April: King's speech against the Vietnam War at New York's Riverside Church raises a storm of criticism
December: King announces plans for major campaign against poverty in Washington, D.C., for 1968. |
1967 |
May: Huey Newton leads Black Panthers in armed demonstration in California state assembly.
June: Johnson nominates former NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court.
July: Riots in Newark and Detroit.
October: Massive mobilization against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. |
March: King joins strike of Memphis sanitation workers.
April: King gives his "Mountaintop" speech in Memphis. A day later, he is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. |
1968 |
January: In Tet Offensive, Communist guerillas stage a surprise coordinated attack across South Vietnam.
March: Johnson cites divisions in the country over the war for his decision not to seek reelection in 1968. | |
Book Description
In Pillar of Fire, the second volume of his America in the King Years trilogy, Taylor Branch portrays the civil rights era at its zenith, picking up where the Pulitzer Prize-winning Parting the Waters left off. It is a monumental chronicle of a movement that stirred from Southern black churches to challenge the national conscience during the Eisenhower and Kennedy years. In this masterly continuation of the narrative, Branch recounts the climactic struggles as they commanded the national and international stage.
This audio adaptation of Pillar of Fire covers the upheavals of the years 1963-1965 -- Dallas, Mississippi Freedom Summer, the far-reaching effects of civil rights legislation, the violent reaction to the end of legalized segregation, Vietnam, Selma. And it provides frank, revealing portraits of the major players: LBJ, Malcolm X, Bob Moses, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others. Participants on all sides stretched themselves and their country to the breaking point over the meaning to simple words: dignity, equal votes, equal souls.
Customer Reviews:
The Angle of Moment.......2007-03-15
With 30 other reviews for this book (so far), it would seem that everything that needs to be said about this book has been said already. And I would second the praise for the book. It is vital reading for any student of American history. It is well written; indeed, I felt the writing style was more literary and more suspenseful than PTW. The allocation of styles is sensible; the straightforward, conservative narrative style of PTW is helpful for readers new to the subject, while POF follows with a somewhat more daring style of narration, for readers now familiar with the main characters.
What I believe other reviews have not really done is assess the book's treatment of the subject matter, or what alternative choices Mr. Branch could have made. Readers would be advised to note this is essentially a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr, and not so much an account of the civil rights movement. Not only that, unlike Garrow's *Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Perennial Classics)*, it addresses MLK as a thinker and philosopher of nonviolence[*], not as a political actor. Every element in Branch's books is marshaled to illustrate or test King's doctrine of nonviolence. While Branch possibly had other motives, a lot of the criticisms of his book can be explained away with this hypothesis.
(Examples of criticism include the meager attention to other characters in the Civil Rights Movement, brief references to the women, or lack of any sort of radical analysis. While Branch has responded to criticism of his male-centric account of this period, I will merely add that women--white or black--seldom posed a challenge to nonviolence. Likewise, Branch does not attempt to assess the forces driving racism itself, and what caused those forces suddenly to weaken or capitulate. This is about a philosophical approach.)
The rival approach to King's philosophy of nonviolence, during this period, was a posture of confrontation (adopted by the Nation of Islam and by King's adversaries in Florida and Mississippi). "Posturing" is an intermediate stance between violence and nonviolence, and it was the choice of a surprising number of white adversaries still hoping to bluff their way out of a violent confrontation. At this time, the appeal to "states rights" had proven to be a legalistic shell game of evasion, and one doomed to end badly for the segregationists. At the same time, the Nation of Islam was adopting militant rhetoric it could not seriously dream of putting into practice. By adopting a discipline of confrontation and central control, the NOI was able to create an entirely new conception of the African American in the minds of white Americans, as a potentially fierce and truculent contender in America's endless civic brawls.
In both cases, the strategy of posturing violence was to collapse in internal struggles. The whites who sought to discourage King's soul power in Mississippi pushed the envelope of posturing--of intimidation and belligerent confrontation--to the point that the ruling white caste began to lose face and succumbed to the enforcer "rednecks." The NOI split along personality lines, with Malcolm X being driven from the inner circle of Elijah Muhammad, then forming a charismatic dissenting ummah of non-sectarian Muslims, and exposing the deep contradictions in the NOI's radical pretensions.
While the NOI plays a smaller role in the book than I have implied, it is fitting that the book begins with a NOI confrontation with the police, and ends with a deadly confrontation between NOI and its most famous ex-member, Malcolm X. The ideal of establishing Black Pride through a personality cult was to prove an unmitigated disaster for the NOI, while the ideal of defeating nonviolent action through constant state harassment was to severely wound the South's ruling class.
___________________________________________________
[*] In my review of *At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 (America in the King Years)* I address King's doctrine of "nonviolence" in more detail; but "nonviolence" is a very inadequate term to describe the concept.
Branch's Trilogy.......2006-08-11
Volume one of Branch's biography of King, though interesting most of the time, suffers from Branch's sometime tortuous syntax and lack of focus, it seems. _Parting the Waters_, overall, was excellent, but I only wish that it flowed always when it only flowed some of the time.
Beginning now to read _Pillar of Fire_, volume two of the trilogy, I am again struck with Branch's convoluted and twised syntax, which smooths itself out at some point only to become twisted once more. Also, volume two seems, at the start, to be extremely disjointed, hopping from place to place with no cohesive story. Most of the first 100 pages of _Pillar of Fire_ is a repeat of information already convered in volume one of the Trilogy.
I expected volume two to begin right off with how the new Johnson Administration was going to approach the Civil Right's Movement, and what further things good ol' Hoover was going to work up. But so far-- after 100 pages-- the book still sits, apparently, in the Kennedy Administration, with very little referencing of King, the Kennedy Administration, or Hoover. Instead, volume two simply rehashes, in sometime tortuous syntax, old information.
Nevertheless, I will continue to read volume two. The trilogy is very good, for the most part. Style is a thing the reader adapts to, after a few hours of reading. The only problem with Branch is that though I have accustomed myself to Branch's stylitical quirks, it seems I am forever going in and out of catching his tempo and flow.
Alan Bernardo
Impossible not to be a letdown.......2006-07-20
Any follow up to Parting the Waters is destined to be anticlimatic. Concedingly, there are a few drawbacks to Pillar of Fire. Nonetheless, this is another classic work from Branch.
General Remarks:
1. About half of the first section of the book is a summary about the "tides" leading to the Birmingham campaign in 1963. Accordingly, it has a text book feel and it quite bland, especially if you just finished reading Parting the Waters. However, the summary will be beneficial if you need a memory jogger to prepare for the history to continue.
2. Fortunately, mixed in with the summary is fresh narrative ranging from "Muslims in Los Angeles" to "LBJ in St. Augustine"
3. The second section, "Freedom Summer," is a return to vintage Branch. The author's presentation of history is captivating. Branch somehow smoothly intertwines all perspectives and every angle in his depiction of freedom summer, zooming out to global standpoints and in for microscopic analyses of King's conscience.
4. Like Parting the Waters, Pillar is rife with suspense, plot turns, romance, treachery, violence, sex, and political intrigue. Even if this were a novel its literary value would merit reading it. But this stuff is true, amazingly, and contains a ton of documentation to prove it.
5. Better yet, this book is philosophically stimulating, inspirational, educational, and utterly poignant.
6. Ironically, this book should have been much longer. Character development could stand to be more thorough in places. Accordingly, some defining episodes (especially St. Augustine) seem rushed.
Final comment: Branch provides an in depth, intimate portrait of the movement and its principal actors. Pillar of Fire is a rich mix of fascinating biography and political intrigue, captured within a multi-dimensional approach to history (intellectual, social, cultural, political, religious), and held together with a concentration on Martin Luther King.
Keeps the Fire Aflame...Pillared Story of the Shaping of America.......2006-05-15
Taylor Branch has certainly done better work with his first Pulitzer Prize winning Civil Rights movement work, "Parting the Waters,' but that doesn't mean you should be brushing aside this good history writing in "Pillar of Fire." There's a quote out there...that I can't seem to find right now...that says something to the effect of, "If we don't learn from history, we will find ourselves repeating mistakes already made." In the realm of social justice and American Civil Rights history there is no finer capturing of our society's mistakes and the heroic struggle undertaken by civil rights movement leaders than the history written by Taylor Branch on the subject. The entire trilogy should be required reading for all liberal arts majors (all other under grad majors for that matter) as an education in the important history that shaped the America we know today.
"Pillar of Fire," captures just three years of the Civil Rights movement from 1963-1965, but they were chock-filled with pivital and formative events. Highlights from Branch's book are the FBI-wrangling led by J. Edgar Hoover, the Mississippi Freedom Summer, assassinations of Malcom X and Medgar Evars, the mission creep of Vietnam, and the beginnings of tying in the civil rights movement protest to a larger anti-war protest movement. My criticism, though minor may it be, of "Pillar of Fire," is that whereas Branch's first work, "Parting the Waters," read like a deftly crafted geniusly written page turner of a suspense novel, "Pillar of Fire," comes across more like a traditional history book. Branch's writing genius lies in his ability to bring together seemingly disparate events while mixing in elements of pop culture and everyday life to give you a good feel for the "sign of the times," at that time. Where Branch was able to tie in the events in America pre-1965 and do it with panache in "Parting the Waters," his efforts in "Pillar of Fire," aren't so focused. Call it a sophomore slump if you will, but "Pillar of Fire," got a little too bogged down in White House and Capital Hill wankerings and didn't focus on the immediacy of the drama of what was happening on the street down South during those years. Don't let this deter you from reading "Pillar of Fire," though...its just a minor Branch-ian misstep.
Where Branch's work really shines is his recounting of the odd and gangster and cult-like machinations of the Nation of Islam. He also captures the juxtaposition of Malcom X's approach to Civil Rights versus MLK's non-violent warfare approach quite nicely. In hindsight it seems MLK's method of bringing about social justice change through sacrifice and love proved more lasting and effective. Also of interest is J. Edgar Hoover's odd fixation on MLK's personal life and using that to try to bring down the man and the movement. If people are concerned about the "Patriot Act," today infringing on personal rights and intelligence oversight...just read what America was like in the 60's with the Hoover-led FBI getting into everybody's business.
All in all, Branch's "Pillar of Fire," is a high quality read and well-written piece of history...a history that is integral to the fabric of America today. The Civil Rights movement was nothing short of a revolutionary and/or civil war in America and the re-telling of this history reveals it as such. Run, don't walk, to get a hold of all of Branch's books from Amazon to get up to speed on all things Civil Rights movement.
--MMW
Indispensible about Malcolm X.......2006-04-15
I have been writing, studying, and speaking about Malcolm X since a year or so after he died. I have had the privilege to work with and learnt about Malcolm from people who worked with Malcolm politically, people who he asked to publish his writing and whose views he has recommended. I have read too many books about Malcolm to believe. I think this book provides the best actual picture of the time line of Malcolm X's life in his last years, the ferocity of the physical and political assault launched against him, and the facts of Malcolm'x struggle to break through to world and national politics.
In saying that, I am saying branch produces good documented history and doesn't pretend to offer much interpretation, which is OK.
After all these statements about this book and others, the best thing to read about Malcolm X is the serious of books printed in Malcolm's own words published by Pathfinder Press in cooperation with Malcolm's family, a publishing project begun my Malcolm himself while he was alive. Read him in his own words, not someone else's opinions.
There is one book about rather than by Malcolm that I recommend. Pathfinder's Malcolm X, the Evolution of a revolutionary by the late George Breitman, the editor that Malcolm selected to edit his books. George was a long time revolutionist, a fighter for Black rights since the 1930s, but also an incredibly scrupulous editor, and very judicious. Too many people try to put their own words in Malcolm's mouth. GB never did that and takes a reasoned view of the motion Malcolm went through in the period since he left the Muslims.
If someone knows better books about Malcolm X published in recent years, contact me, I will check them out!
This book isn't bad in charting what was going on in the civil rights movement at the time in a very honest way that seems rare in this era of self-serving hagiagrophy of King and others of his ilk.
Average customer rating:
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Pillar of Fire: Dunkirk 1940
Ronald Atkin
Manufacturer: Birlinn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1841580783 |
Book Description
The German advance of 1940 and the miraculous rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from the Dunkirk beaches has been described in several famous books but this dramatic first-hand account has not been readily available in the United States. In addition to unforgettable accounts of day-to-day actions, the author offers perceptive observations on the inefficiency and unpreparedness of the British authorities in the face of German aggression.
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