Powerful, deadly trends now present in US society are traced to a loss of male self-esteem and national pride following our defeat in Vietnam — in this fluid, captivating analysis from Gibson (Sociology/California State University; The Perfect War, 1986). Claiming the "New War" mentality as a fresh wrinkle in the fabric of post-Vietnam America — in which killing capacity via new technology merges with traditions of a warrior's solo pursuit of guts and glory — Gibson's evidence is compelling. When Soldier of Fortune magazine premiered in 1975, New Warriors gained both an advocate and an outlet for their dreams, and the annual SOF convention in Las Vegas became a perfect training ground. Likewise, the "action-adventure" genre achieved new popularity as Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood updated the John Wayne warrior in movies, while reams of visceral, macho fiction titillated male readers. Used by such heroes, handguns and similar weapons became the rage; facilities like Arizona's Gunsite Ranch taught the art of shooting-to-kill to cops and Rambo wannabes, while paramilitary groups like Aryan Nation prospered. In the 80's, unfortunately, with mercenary options few and US conflicts limited, the lust for lethal encounters to prove one's manhood was vented on innocent citizens, and incidents of mass-murder rose accordingly. Society is fighting back — in the form of gun-control legislation and lawsuits — but nothing less than an overhaul of family structure and gender roles is seen as a lasting solution. Tightly knit, wide-ranging, and well researched — with Gibson's own experience as a Gunsite Ranch trainee recounted: a profoundly troubling assessment of America at risk.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0809015781
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Hill and Wang/Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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