Revelations about unspeakable brutality by the Khmer Rouge, the Peking-allied guerrillas who ruled Cambodia in the early and mid-1970s, were paid varying degrees of attention until Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978. Then, when Western reporters saw the devastation, they invoked the image of holocaust. Shawcross, author of Sideshow, on the US war in Cambodia, was one of those who warned of famine in 1979 if help didn't come. It did—but Shawcross now knows there was no serious famine threat. Inquiringly, he has reconstructed the process whereby many experienced and honorable people misinterpreted the situation, while documenting and narrating the history of emergency aid. Information about Cambodia came from two sources: the refugees fleeing into Thailand and the Vietnamese-supported government in Phnom Penh. The refugees were clearly in dire straits: malnourished, malarial, some starving. In Phnom Penh, the government restricted Westerners' movements: what they saw was an almost-abandoned city with atrocious medical conditions. The Hight of refugees, and other factors, led Western relief experts to believe that the rice harvests would be devastated; that, combined with what they saw of conditions, convinced them that a famine was in the making. The Phnom Penh government, out to brand Khmer Rouge leader Poi Pot as a Hitler-figure, encouraged the famine stories, but did not cooperate with the relief agencies. The two in first—UNICEF and the International Red Cross—quickly ran into issues of sovereignty. When they tried to provide help along the Khmer Rouge border areas, the Phnom Penh government balked. Oxfam, the British relief group, did get medical and other supplies into Phnom Penh, but only by ignoring the border areas. Once some of the political wrangles were worked out, and supplies started going into Phnom Penh, the Vietnamese made little effort to distribute them. It now appears that conditions were much worse in the Khmer Rouge areas—hence the plight of the refugees—than in the Vietnamese-controlled areas. Rice was kept mostly in Phnom Penh, and given to government workers; this did leave the countryside free to feed only itself, however, and the abundance of secondary crops sufficed. Even if famine had occurred, Shawcross shows, the aid would not have arrived in time. National governments caused the programs to malfunction, and he is objective in his assessment of them. He never questions the motives of UNICEF, the Red Cross, and the others (though Oxfam played some competitive politics); but plenty of questionable decisions are cited—capped by the non-review, by these agencies, of their mistakes. (For lack, regrettably, of such funding.) The same can't be said of Shawcross, who knows when he has made a mistake and sets out to understand why. Every bit as important as Sideshow in a less sensational way; and likely to be as controversial.
Pub Date: June 28, 1984
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1984
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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