A potted revisionist biography of Gaddafi, by Tremlett (Dylan Thomas, 1992). The author's qualifications for this work don't spring out: He speaks neither Arabic nor Italian; has consulted books only in English; and, contrary to the publisher's claim that he ``has been granted extraordinary access to...Gaddafi...and spent months in Libya doing research,'' it would appear from his preface that he spent only a week in Libya and never met its leader. Tremlett's lack of familiarity with Libya is indicated by long quotations from other books, even on subjects like the country's physical appearance. He does offer a short history of Libya; some personal anecdotes; and a repetitious account of the few facts known about Gaddafi. There's also a generally uncritical summation of views on the Libyan leader held by friends and admirers; long extracts from the Green Book, Gaddafi's volume of philosophy; and an inconclusive assessment of Libya's involvement in terrorism, with Tremlett suggesting that most of the major atrocities charged to Libya (the bombing of a Berlin disco; the downing of Pan Am Flight 103) should more properly be laid against Syria or Palestinian terrorists. The general ignorance in the West about Libya and its leader makes some of this detail helpful, and Gaddafi's thought, his actions to redistribute wealth, and his outright condemnation of discrimination against women have previously received too little attention. Tremlett also offers an insightful description of Libya's government—run by 2600 committees in ``a state of constant but thoroughly enjoyable muddle,'' which contributes to a ``diffusion of power [that] means that no one can establish a power base in Libya to challenge [Gaddafi's] authority.'' But the author's conclusions seem questionable—as when he states that Libyans ``are [a]...happy people'' and ``feel free,'' yet notes that ``all Libyans are forbidden to speak to foreigners'' and to criticize Gaddafi's rule. Of some use but, overall, not a book to inspire full confidence as a source. (Photos)
Pub Date: Dec. 3, 1993
ISBN: 0-88184-934-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An autobiography as toxic and addictive as any drug its author has ever ingested.
The legendary booze-addled metal rocker turned reality-TV star comes clean in his tell-all autobiography.
Although brought up in the bleak British factory town of Aston, John “Ozzy” Osbourne’s tragicomic rags-to-riches tale is somehow quintessentially American. It’s an epic dream/nightmare that takes him from Winson Green prison in 1966 to a presidential dinner with George W. Bush in 2004. Tracing his adult life from petty thief and slaughterhouse worker to rock star, Osbourne’s first-person slang-and-expletive-driven style comes off like he’s casually relating his story while knocking back pints at the pub. “What you read here,” he writes, “is what dribbled out of the jelly I call my brain when I asked it for my life story.” During the late 1960s his transformation from inept shoplifter to notorious Black Sabbath frontman was unlikely enough. In fact, the band got its first paying gigs by waiting outside concert venues hoping the regularly scheduled act wouldn’t show. After a few years, Osbourne and his bandmates were touring America and becoming millionaires from their riff-heavy doom music. As expected, with success came personal excess and inevitable alienation from the other members of the group. But as a solo performer, Osbourne’s predilection for guns, drink, drugs, near-death experiences, cruelty to animals and relieving himself in public soon became the stuff of legend. His most infamous exploits—biting the head off a bat and accidentally urinating on the Alamo—are addressed, but they seem tame compared to other dark moments of his checkered past: nearly killing his wife Sharon during an alcohol-induced blackout, waking up after a bender in the middle of a busy highway, burning down his backyard, etc. Osbourne is confessional to a fault, jeopardizing his demonic-rocker reputation with glib remarks about his love for Paul McCartney and Robin Williams. The most distinguishing feature of the book is the staggering chapter-by-chapter accumulation of drunken mishaps, bodily dysfunctions and drug-induced mayhem over a 40-plus-year career—a résumé of anti-social atrocities comparable to any of rock ’n’ roll’s most reckless outlaws.
An autobiography as toxic and addictive as any drug its author has ever ingested.Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-56989-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2009
IN THE NEWS
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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