An up-close look at one man’s bizarre journey to international notoriety.
Debut author Stalinsky offers a profile of an American who became an al-Qaida operative.
Adam Pearlman’s story begins with his upbringing in rural California, where he, along with his siblings, was home-schooled on the family farm. In his teenage years, he developed an encyclopedic knowledge of death-metal music, and he channeled his interest into writing reviews of new releases and even recording a solo album under the name Aphasia. At the age of 16, however, his life took an abrupt turn. While staying with his grandparents in Santa Ana, California, in the mid-1990s, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Adam Gadahn. As he explained in an essay at the time, “I discovered that the beliefs and practices of this religion fit my personal theology.” Following his conversion, he fell under the influence of a group of “radical jihadists” in the area, eventually traveling to Pakistan and becoming “Azzam the American.” With this new persona, now bearded and frequently brandishing a weapon, Gadahn would help shape al-Qaida’s propaganda wing, appearing in and producing numerous videos over the years. These videos would get the attention of audiences ranging from would-be terrorists to U.S. government operatives, and they’d eventually lead to charges of treason and death by drone-strike. Stalinsky’s book relies heavily on material from other publications; for example, a January 2007 article from the New Yorker proves indispensable to early chapters. However, it’s at its best when laying bare Gadahn’s message over the years. The author makes frequent use of transcripts of his subject’s videos, effectively offering close commentary on his statements and showing how they reflected political developments in the United States and abroad. For example, he tells of how Gadahn produced annual videos celebrating the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, advised American terrorists to purchase firearms at gun shows, and demanded the United States stop sending Peace Corps volunteers to the Islamic world. Stalinsky’s highlighting of such sentiments, particularly when compared with Gadahn’s innocuous teenage praise of obscure bands like Timeghoul, makes for a truly unnerving examination of a real-life enemy of the state.
An up-close look at one man’s bizarre journey to international notoriety.Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9678480-2-0
Page Count: 496
Publisher: MEMRI Books
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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