What a book, what a read and what an individual. What a story.
This is one of those stories that really does challenge everything that you believe about yourself, and about others. It also challenges how you think you would react in terrible circumstances. It really was an amazing read, and I would love to meet the author, one day. He rocks.
In this book, Nando accounts first hand the hardships encountered by a football team that had crash landed in a remote spot in the Andes. Here is the overview (from http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400097678)
In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.
Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and sister. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, with no supplies and no means of summoning help. They struggled to endure freezing temperatures, deadly avalanches, and then the devastating news that the search for them had been called off.
As time passed and Nando’s thoughts turned increasingly to his father, who he knew must be consumed with grief, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. He would challenge the Andes, even though he was certain the effort would kill him, telling himself that even if he failed he would die that much closer to his father. It was a desperate decision, but it was also his only chance. So Nando, an ordinary young man with no disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snow-capped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to find help.
Thirty years after the disaster Nando tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes—a first person account of the crash and its aftermath—is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure: it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.
Overall, 4.95 out of 5, the highest rating yet. It was a great book.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Book 26 - LIKE A SAMURAI: The Tony Glynn Story, by Fr Paul Glynn SM
Can you believe it - we are now over half way through the year, and this is book 26, half way through the blog challenge. Bring it on. Yee Hah.
Another amazing book, and another amazing story of an inspirational individual.
Father Tony Glynn made a real difference throughout his life, which was dedicated to better relations between Australia and Japan. He not only focused on that relationship, but also the one between Buddhists and Christians, and he was wise enough to see the unique qualities in both.
Also, would you believe that my great Uncle, Father Guinea, was featured in the book - imagine that.
Anyway, here is a great review that I found on the book.
LIKE A SAMURAI: The Tony Glynn Story, by Fr Paul Glynn SM
Here is a review by Tim Cannon, which can be found at: http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2009/jul2009p17_3092.html
Many readers will be familiar with Fr Paul Glynn, an Australian Marist priest, and author of such titles as Song for Nagasaki and Smile of a Ragpicker. Fr Glynn spent some 25 years in post-WWII Japan, and his latest offering tells the less widely known story of his older brother Tony, also a Marist priest, who spent the greater part of his life in Japan.
Like a Samurai: The Tony Glynn Story is the biography of an authentic missionary of the modern era. Today Japan remains a predominantly Buddhist nation, with only 0.7% of the population identifying as Christian, the bulk of them Catholic. When a 25- year-old Fr Tony Glynn first set foot on Japanese soil, Catholics were even fewer in number. During their time in Japan, the Glynn brothers were true pioneers on a daunting cultural and spiritual frontier.
It was there that Fr Tony built a parish, literally from scratch, which, by the time of his death, was enthusiastically attended by hundreds of parishioners each week, and was renowned for its charitable works and the unfathomable generosity of its cheery Australian parish priest.
This is a rollicking tale, and a wonderfully vivid example of just what can happen when Christians place their lives in God's hands and unabashedly seek out His will. Indeed Fr Tony's story is in no small way reminiscent of the missionary adventures of St Paul, and as this commemorative "year of St Paul" draws to a close, readers young and old will no doubt draw inspiration from this modern exemplar of daring and enthusiastic ministry.
In addition to his work in Japan, Fr Tony's efforts would eventually lead to a pioneering mission of Christian reconciliation back in Australia, as well as in New Zealand, in the aftermath of a war which had yielded a bitter crop of resentment on all sides.
The seeds of this remarkable story were being sewn even before Tony Glynn was born. Thus the author commences with a fascinating account of Fr Tony's Irish ancestry, and of the family's experiences settling in Australia several generations prior to Tony's birth.
The centrality of the Catholic faith to the lives of Tony's parents (and certain other relations) is shown to be of vital importance to the fruition of many graces - including several vocations to the priesthood and religious life - among Tony and his siblings.
Providential encounter
Tony's path to Japan was forged by a providential encounter in the seminary with Fr Lionel Marsden, an Australian military chaplain who had been taken prisoner by Japanese forces during the war. "Padre" Marsden's brutal experiences had eventually led him to resolve to return to Japan after the war to establish a Marist mission, and to preach Christ's gospel of love and forgiveness. It was a mission which very much appealed to the young Tony Glynn, and shortly after his ordination, he departed for a new life in Japan.
Throughout the book, Tony's magnetic personality, his energy and enthusiasm, his can-do attitude, and his infectious and often self- deprecating sense of humour shine through. As the author frequently notes, these personal qualities, coupled with a deep devotion to personal prayer, the Mass, and genuine service to others, enabled Fr Tony to achieve the unachievable.
The book details Fr Tony's many remarkable achievements: building a parish from the ground up in a foreign land, and without a penny in the bank; running fund- raising drives in the USA; establishing goodwill exhibitions of Japanese art in Australia and New Zealand; and pioneering a reconciliation effort between the Australian people and the people of Japan.
The book's cover features a picture of Fr Tony Glynn bearing two armfuls of samurai swords. These were taken from slain or captured Japanese soldiers by Australian and New Zealand forces during the war, but which were to be returned to the families of the Japanese soldiers as a gesture of reconciliation.
His close work with Buddhist spiritual leaders in Japan, and his openness to the goodwill of all he encountered, invariably drew more and more people to his humble but widely renowned parish.
There is a certain earthy humility which pervades the pages of this book, and which is persistently apparent in its subject, Fr Tony Glynn. I never met the man, but having read Like a Samurai, I feel as though I have. When an ordinary bloke like Tony Glynn opens his heart and his life to God, the mind boggles at the sheer extraordinariness of what he can achieve.
Overall, a good read, 4.25 out of 5.
Another amazing book, and another amazing story of an inspirational individual.
Father Tony Glynn made a real difference throughout his life, which was dedicated to better relations between Australia and Japan. He not only focused on that relationship, but also the one between Buddhists and Christians, and he was wise enough to see the unique qualities in both.
Also, would you believe that my great Uncle, Father Guinea, was featured in the book - imagine that.
Anyway, here is a great review that I found on the book.
LIKE A SAMURAI: The Tony Glynn Story, by Fr Paul Glynn SM
Here is a review by Tim Cannon, which can be found at: http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2009/jul2009p17_3092.html
Many readers will be familiar with Fr Paul Glynn, an Australian Marist priest, and author of such titles as Song for Nagasaki and Smile of a Ragpicker. Fr Glynn spent some 25 years in post-WWII Japan, and his latest offering tells the less widely known story of his older brother Tony, also a Marist priest, who spent the greater part of his life in Japan.
Like a Samurai: The Tony Glynn Story is the biography of an authentic missionary of the modern era. Today Japan remains a predominantly Buddhist nation, with only 0.7% of the population identifying as Christian, the bulk of them Catholic. When a 25- year-old Fr Tony Glynn first set foot on Japanese soil, Catholics were even fewer in number. During their time in Japan, the Glynn brothers were true pioneers on a daunting cultural and spiritual frontier.
It was there that Fr Tony built a parish, literally from scratch, which, by the time of his death, was enthusiastically attended by hundreds of parishioners each week, and was renowned for its charitable works and the unfathomable generosity of its cheery Australian parish priest.
This is a rollicking tale, and a wonderfully vivid example of just what can happen when Christians place their lives in God's hands and unabashedly seek out His will. Indeed Fr Tony's story is in no small way reminiscent of the missionary adventures of St Paul, and as this commemorative "year of St Paul" draws to a close, readers young and old will no doubt draw inspiration from this modern exemplar of daring and enthusiastic ministry.
In addition to his work in Japan, Fr Tony's efforts would eventually lead to a pioneering mission of Christian reconciliation back in Australia, as well as in New Zealand, in the aftermath of a war which had yielded a bitter crop of resentment on all sides.
The seeds of this remarkable story were being sewn even before Tony Glynn was born. Thus the author commences with a fascinating account of Fr Tony's Irish ancestry, and of the family's experiences settling in Australia several generations prior to Tony's birth.
The centrality of the Catholic faith to the lives of Tony's parents (and certain other relations) is shown to be of vital importance to the fruition of many graces - including several vocations to the priesthood and religious life - among Tony and his siblings.
Providential encounter
Tony's path to Japan was forged by a providential encounter in the seminary with Fr Lionel Marsden, an Australian military chaplain who had been taken prisoner by Japanese forces during the war. "Padre" Marsden's brutal experiences had eventually led him to resolve to return to Japan after the war to establish a Marist mission, and to preach Christ's gospel of love and forgiveness. It was a mission which very much appealed to the young Tony Glynn, and shortly after his ordination, he departed for a new life in Japan.
Throughout the book, Tony's magnetic personality, his energy and enthusiasm, his can-do attitude, and his infectious and often self- deprecating sense of humour shine through. As the author frequently notes, these personal qualities, coupled with a deep devotion to personal prayer, the Mass, and genuine service to others, enabled Fr Tony to achieve the unachievable.
The book details Fr Tony's many remarkable achievements: building a parish from the ground up in a foreign land, and without a penny in the bank; running fund- raising drives in the USA; establishing goodwill exhibitions of Japanese art in Australia and New Zealand; and pioneering a reconciliation effort between the Australian people and the people of Japan.
The book's cover features a picture of Fr Tony Glynn bearing two armfuls of samurai swords. These were taken from slain or captured Japanese soldiers by Australian and New Zealand forces during the war, but which were to be returned to the families of the Japanese soldiers as a gesture of reconciliation.
His close work with Buddhist spiritual leaders in Japan, and his openness to the goodwill of all he encountered, invariably drew more and more people to his humble but widely renowned parish.
There is a certain earthy humility which pervades the pages of this book, and which is persistently apparent in its subject, Fr Tony Glynn. I never met the man, but having read Like a Samurai, I feel as though I have. When an ordinary bloke like Tony Glynn opens his heart and his life to God, the mind boggles at the sheer extraordinariness of what he can achieve.
Overall, a good read, 4.25 out of 5.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Book 25 - The Time of my Life - Patrick Swayze
Growing up, I loved Patrick Swayze. He was the man - from Roadhouse to Ghost, to Dirty Dancing to Next of Kin, they were all great in their own way. The man could act, dance and appeared to be living the dream.
What was amazing was that he was always destined for greatness. His mother named him Patrick, as she thought his name would look good on a billboard. Imagine that. His mother was a dance instructor, and that is where Patrick learnt the art of dance, and met his life long love Lisa Niemi. She is extremely attractive, and the pair looked like the perfect couple. She also followed a career in dance, though appeared to take the support role, and let Patrick take the lime light.
Patrick Swayze was a fighter, he suffered major injuries during his dancing and acting career, which did not stop him one bit. He trained and worked with significant pain. He also suffered the pain of alcoholism, he lost his father (which was extremely tough) then he lost his battle with cancer.
You know, this was one of the most motivational books that I have read as part of this blog. Patrick Swayze never gave up, never did things in halves, never lost his sense of family (or earthy things - the pair loved horses) and he never lost his sense of fighting when the chips were down.
He and Lisa Niemi spent time on the bread line, they fixed furniture to make ends meet, they separated for a period, and they, sadly, never had kids. They had a great life, though, and one that gave us all joy and happiness. It was an amazing journey, and one that I loved. It is time to pull out Road House again and watch him go around with Sam Elliot, including getting stitched up without pain killer. You know, if that was real life, especially after reading the book, it is not a stretch to imagine him doing that.
The blurb from the book reads:
"In September 2009 movie star Patrick Swayze lost his long and bravely fought battle against pancreatic cancer. Dedications soon came flooding in from Swayze's many friends in film and television as well as from his legions of adoring fans. His was a life richly led and this memoir, completed just weeks before his death, is a testament to the strength and passion of this remarkable man. It was January 2008 when Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer. This book isn't just the story of Patrick's fight against cancer. In the public eye from the early 1980s, this is the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancing became a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, in a role that has had a considerable cultural impact. Most recently Patrick returned to the public's adoring arms in TV's The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick's personal life, too -- including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister's sudden death. What remained a constant in Patrick's life was his marriage and Patrick and Lisa's love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage. This is a book that anyone who has faced cancer or a terminal illness can turn to: Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn't just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart. Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze's memoir is the story of a remarkable man's life and career and of his refusal to give up without a fight."
A 4.75 out of 5 for me for this one. Loved it. Loved the fight, loved the spirit, loved the ups and downs and loved the down to earthiness of this man, who the world will miss.
What was amazing was that he was always destined for greatness. His mother named him Patrick, as she thought his name would look good on a billboard. Imagine that. His mother was a dance instructor, and that is where Patrick learnt the art of dance, and met his life long love Lisa Niemi. She is extremely attractive, and the pair looked like the perfect couple. She also followed a career in dance, though appeared to take the support role, and let Patrick take the lime light.
Patrick Swayze was a fighter, he suffered major injuries during his dancing and acting career, which did not stop him one bit. He trained and worked with significant pain. He also suffered the pain of alcoholism, he lost his father (which was extremely tough) then he lost his battle with cancer.
You know, this was one of the most motivational books that I have read as part of this blog. Patrick Swayze never gave up, never did things in halves, never lost his sense of family (or earthy things - the pair loved horses) and he never lost his sense of fighting when the chips were down.
He and Lisa Niemi spent time on the bread line, they fixed furniture to make ends meet, they separated for a period, and they, sadly, never had kids. They had a great life, though, and one that gave us all joy and happiness. It was an amazing journey, and one that I loved. It is time to pull out Road House again and watch him go around with Sam Elliot, including getting stitched up without pain killer. You know, if that was real life, especially after reading the book, it is not a stretch to imagine him doing that.
The blurb from the book reads:
"In September 2009 movie star Patrick Swayze lost his long and bravely fought battle against pancreatic cancer. Dedications soon came flooding in from Swayze's many friends in film and television as well as from his legions of adoring fans. His was a life richly led and this memoir, completed just weeks before his death, is a testament to the strength and passion of this remarkable man. It was January 2008 when Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer. This book isn't just the story of Patrick's fight against cancer. In the public eye from the early 1980s, this is the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancing became a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, in a role that has had a considerable cultural impact. Most recently Patrick returned to the public's adoring arms in TV's The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick's personal life, too -- including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister's sudden death. What remained a constant in Patrick's life was his marriage and Patrick and Lisa's love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage. This is a book that anyone who has faced cancer or a terminal illness can turn to: Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn't just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart. Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze's memoir is the story of a remarkable man's life and career and of his refusal to give up without a fight."
A 4.75 out of 5 for me for this one. Loved it. Loved the fight, loved the spirit, loved the ups and downs and loved the down to earthiness of this man, who the world will miss.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Book 24 - Raising Boys
Raising Boys, by Steve Biddulph, is an absoutely must read for any parents of young males.
I really learnt so much from this book, with the one major thing being that ADD could also be a case of DDD (dad deficit disorder - now that was an enlightening point - I need to be home more - very close to my heart).
Apparently, "Raising Boys has created shifts in how parents understand the development and needs of boys from birth to the teenage years. It covers both the social forces and the biological and hormonal forces that make a boy what he is, and how to use these to help boys be safe, caring, energetic, and in love with life."
"Boys worldwide have three times the death rate of girls, and are disappearing from higher education, while girls do better and better. This book is incredibly timely, and much loved by parents.
The three stages of boyhood. What mothers can do. What fathers can do. What if you are a single mother ? Finding a boy-friendly school. Boys and sport. Boys and sex.
Ideal for mothers who are just not sure if they understand boys. For fathers who want to play an active role in raising their son."
Again, and finally, this is a great book, and one that explains so many of the issues that we face as parents (actually of both boys and girls). It tackes the touch stuff, like homosexuality, and the soft stuff, like puberty and masdurbation. Very enlightening, and my wife and I are applying the messages already.
Anyway, if you are raising kids, get this book.
4.5 out of 5 from this little no-one who is critiquing books for the 2010 calendar year.
I really learnt so much from this book, with the one major thing being that ADD could also be a case of DDD (dad deficit disorder - now that was an enlightening point - I need to be home more - very close to my heart).
Apparently, "Raising Boys has created shifts in how parents understand the development and needs of boys from birth to the teenage years. It covers both the social forces and the biological and hormonal forces that make a boy what he is, and how to use these to help boys be safe, caring, energetic, and in love with life."
"Boys worldwide have three times the death rate of girls, and are disappearing from higher education, while girls do better and better. This book is incredibly timely, and much loved by parents.
The three stages of boyhood. What mothers can do. What fathers can do. What if you are a single mother ? Finding a boy-friendly school. Boys and sport. Boys and sex.
Ideal for mothers who are just not sure if they understand boys. For fathers who want to play an active role in raising their son."
Again, and finally, this is a great book, and one that explains so many of the issues that we face as parents (actually of both boys and girls). It tackes the touch stuff, like homosexuality, and the soft stuff, like puberty and masdurbation. Very enlightening, and my wife and I are applying the messages already.
Anyway, if you are raising kids, get this book.
4.5 out of 5 from this little no-one who is critiquing books for the 2010 calendar year.
Book 23 - The Shack
This book really is a great read, and I would recommend it for everyone on the planet to have a read of. It is written by William P. Young, and it was published in 2007. It became a best seller in 2008, and you can see why, when you read it.
I actually really believed it was a true story, but it is a novel, apparently. I got some information from Wiki, below ...
The novel is all about Mackenzie Philips, a father of five, called "Mack" by his family and friends. Mack is set up as a friend of the authors, and the book is focused on an event that occurred after Mack took his three youngest children on a camping trip to Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon, stopping at Multnomah Falls on the way. Two of his children are playing in a canoe when it flips and almost drowns Mack's son. Mack is able to save his son by leaving his youngest daughter Missy alone at their campsite. After Mack returns, he sees that Missy is missing. The police are called, and the family discovers that Missy has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the "Little Ladykiller." The police find an abandoned shack in the woods where Missy was taken, but her body is never found. Mack's life sinks into what he calls "The Great Sadness."
At the beginning of the book, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from "Papa," saying that he would like to meet with Mack on that coming weekend at the shack. Mack is puzzled by the note - he has no relationship with his abusive father after Mack leaves home at age 13. He suspects that the note may be from God, whom his wife Nan refers to as "Papa."
Mack's family leaves to visit relatives and he goes alone to the shack, unsure of what he will see there. He arrives and finds nothing, but as he is leaving, the shack and its surroundings are supernaturally transformed into a lush and inviting scene. He enters the shack and encounters manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father takes the form of an African American woman who calls herself Papa, Jesus Christ is a Middle-Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit physically manifests itself as an Asian woman named Sarayu.
Mack tells the story of the time that he shares speaking with, dining with, and learning from Jesus, God and the holy spirit. There are some great interactions.
It is really a powerful book, and there is one part that was quite amazing, where Mack is weeding a garden with the Holy Spirit. It turns out that they are in Macks soul, cleaning it up. Amazing stuff, and just one of the phenomenal little quirks in the book. The big one is really about forgiveness ...
In summary, the book explains what I really thought to be unexplained, in many ways. The author is am amazing chap, to be able to articulate the messages, as he has done. Very clever, very insightful.
Look, I must say, though, that my wife read this book, and loved it passionately, and I read 'The Five People you Meet in Heaven' first. We each liked the book we read first more than the preceding book, so that was interesting. The Shack was great, but I preferred the former, even though they really were about different messages and story lines.
Anyway, a great read, and highly recommended. 4.5 out of 5 from this little book critic.
I actually really believed it was a true story, but it is a novel, apparently. I got some information from Wiki, below ...
The novel is all about Mackenzie Philips, a father of five, called "Mack" by his family and friends. Mack is set up as a friend of the authors, and the book is focused on an event that occurred after Mack took his three youngest children on a camping trip to Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon, stopping at Multnomah Falls on the way. Two of his children are playing in a canoe when it flips and almost drowns Mack's son. Mack is able to save his son by leaving his youngest daughter Missy alone at their campsite. After Mack returns, he sees that Missy is missing. The police are called, and the family discovers that Missy has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the "Little Ladykiller." The police find an abandoned shack in the woods where Missy was taken, but her body is never found. Mack's life sinks into what he calls "The Great Sadness."
At the beginning of the book, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from "Papa," saying that he would like to meet with Mack on that coming weekend at the shack. Mack is puzzled by the note - he has no relationship with his abusive father after Mack leaves home at age 13. He suspects that the note may be from God, whom his wife Nan refers to as "Papa."
Mack's family leaves to visit relatives and he goes alone to the shack, unsure of what he will see there. He arrives and finds nothing, but as he is leaving, the shack and its surroundings are supernaturally transformed into a lush and inviting scene. He enters the shack and encounters manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father takes the form of an African American woman who calls herself Papa, Jesus Christ is a Middle-Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit physically manifests itself as an Asian woman named Sarayu.
Mack tells the story of the time that he shares speaking with, dining with, and learning from Jesus, God and the holy spirit. There are some great interactions.
It is really a powerful book, and there is one part that was quite amazing, where Mack is weeding a garden with the Holy Spirit. It turns out that they are in Macks soul, cleaning it up. Amazing stuff, and just one of the phenomenal little quirks in the book. The big one is really about forgiveness ...
In summary, the book explains what I really thought to be unexplained, in many ways. The author is am amazing chap, to be able to articulate the messages, as he has done. Very clever, very insightful.
Look, I must say, though, that my wife read this book, and loved it passionately, and I read 'The Five People you Meet in Heaven' first. We each liked the book we read first more than the preceding book, so that was interesting. The Shack was great, but I preferred the former, even though they really were about different messages and story lines.
Anyway, a great read, and highly recommended. 4.5 out of 5 from this little book critic.
Book 22 - Tombstone
Tombstone is a town that I have always been fascinated by. It was founded in 1878, when a struggling prospector found silver in the jagged mountains of Arizona. Within a year the town of Tombstone was filling up with merchants, tradesmen, gamblers, whores, and gunslingers, and was what I imagine to be a wild west town.
In this book, Matt Braun hypothesises that "the Earp family came to Tombstone - five brothers with their women and their wives and along with Doc Holliday and a band of thieves, Wyatt Earp treated the Arizona territory as his personal stomping grounds."
Now, I am not sure that I completely believe this side of the Tombstone story. Matt is convinced, though it is the only book, or text, or even movie, or anything else, that depicts Wyatt Earp in this way. Yes, Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc, were all rat bags and were wrapped up in gambling and all sorts of money making schemes, but I am not sure that they were into stage robberies and other things that Matt says there were.
Then, there was the legend of the OK Corral shootout.
In this book, private detective Luke Starbuck was sent to Tombstone to find the truth. And when he got there, Starbuck's mission turned into one burning, personal obsession: to kill Wyatt Earp. See, Wyatt lived to a ripe old age, though this book says that Luke Starbuck was intent on killing him, hunted him, etc. It also says that Wyatt never remarried after he left Mattie Blaylock, which we know to be incorrect, as he married Josephine Marcus.
Really, on reflection, I am not sure if Matt is trying to tell us a true story, here, or if it is all a made up yarn. See, the other thing is, Luke Starbuck, at the end of the book, is all upset that he has not become a famous house hold name, like Wyatt Earp did. Sounds far fetched.
Anyway, overall, the book was not a bad read. It was sort of a 'dime novel'. It has 20c on the front of it, so I am guessing that I bought it on the cheap somewhere.
I love the story of Tombstone, and the Tombstone movie, where Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are the main actors, is still one of my all time favourites. Great movie - if you haven't seen it - get into it, quickly. I suppose I was a little disappointed that this book did not have the same story line as the movie, and proposed theories that I really thought were a little out there. Anyway, Matt appears to be a good writer, though, and overall 3.5 out of 5 for this one. Not a bad read.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Book 21 - Ned Kelly's Last Stand - Frank Clune
You know, after all this time, and for all of my life, I realised that I had not read a book about our most famous outlaw - Edward Kelly. Well, I have now, and it was a great read.
This was the oldest book that I have read as part of this bog, by far, it was published in 1964 by Frank Clune, who really did an outstanding job of the research for the book. Frank documented Ned's life and he detailed the lives of the other Irish immigrant families and how they really were targeted (some would say unfairly) by the Victorian Police Department of the time. Actually, Frank is scathing of the Victorian Police, as he describes them as lazy, corrupt, inept and in many other defamatory ways throughout the book.
To Ned's life - he and his family were targeted by the Police force - generally for things that were minor, or for crimes they just did not commit. Ned and his brother Dan both served time in jail, as did Ned's mother - for a crime she was innocent of. That was the turning point for Ned, and he went on a one man mission to make the point that the police force was victimising him and his family. The first lot of police officers that were sent to capture Ned were shot dead (in self defence - is the way Ned described it). That was the crime that he would eventually hang for, but following that, he, Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart went on a crime spree that lasted nearly two years, and ended in the gun fight at the Glenrowan Hotel. The final battle was a shambles for the Kelly Gang, which saw Joe Byrne fatally injured and Dan Kelly and Steve Hart apparently take their own lives with some sort of poison (though that was never conclusive).
Ned could have escaped, though he went back into battle, armour clad and injured, nearly unable to walk. He was finally felled, and he was found to have 28 bullet injuries in the parts of his body there were not protected by his suit of armour. Eventually, his armour was probably his downfall, as it restricted his movement, and in the end, he thought it made him invincible.
In the end, Ned has become a household name. He was a Robin Hood - stealing and providing for poorer families. He never had to worry about people 'ratting' on him, as he gave a lot of people the proceeds from the banks that he was robbing. That was, though, all except for Aaron Skerritt, who was killed by the Kelly Gang for being paid to provide information on there whereabouts.
What must be said, though, is that he was a rat bag. Ned robbed, killed and generally broke the law. he was a self proclaimed horse thief, and he admitted stealing many horses (of which he was never tried or found guilty of). He is now a famous Aussie icon, and we all know the famous words he used when he was being hung - 'such is life'. The book was a good read, and it seemed very accurate. At the end of it all, you loved Ned, and detested Police Officers, which I think was the author's intent.
One final thing - there is a comment in the book that goes along the lines of - Ned Kelly was an outlaw, and is now infamous in Australia. He never, though, really changed anything in our history, other than to write his name indelibly upon it. He lead a team of four men - he was a great leader, very courageous and very driven. If he could have mustered a bigger team, maybe int the hundreds, he may have had a bigger impact on Australian history (especially politically), where he may have been able to petition some sort of change, maybe against laws and a police force that at the time persecuted the innocent.
3.75 out of 5 - a good read, and interesting.
This was the oldest book that I have read as part of this bog, by far, it was published in 1964 by Frank Clune, who really did an outstanding job of the research for the book. Frank documented Ned's life and he detailed the lives of the other Irish immigrant families and how they really were targeted (some would say unfairly) by the Victorian Police Department of the time. Actually, Frank is scathing of the Victorian Police, as he describes them as lazy, corrupt, inept and in many other defamatory ways throughout the book.
To Ned's life - he and his family were targeted by the Police force - generally for things that were minor, or for crimes they just did not commit. Ned and his brother Dan both served time in jail, as did Ned's mother - for a crime she was innocent of. That was the turning point for Ned, and he went on a one man mission to make the point that the police force was victimising him and his family. The first lot of police officers that were sent to capture Ned were shot dead (in self defence - is the way Ned described it). That was the crime that he would eventually hang for, but following that, he, Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart went on a crime spree that lasted nearly two years, and ended in the gun fight at the Glenrowan Hotel. The final battle was a shambles for the Kelly Gang, which saw Joe Byrne fatally injured and Dan Kelly and Steve Hart apparently take their own lives with some sort of poison (though that was never conclusive).
Ned could have escaped, though he went back into battle, armour clad and injured, nearly unable to walk. He was finally felled, and he was found to have 28 bullet injuries in the parts of his body there were not protected by his suit of armour. Eventually, his armour was probably his downfall, as it restricted his movement, and in the end, he thought it made him invincible.
In the end, Ned has become a household name. He was a Robin Hood - stealing and providing for poorer families. He never had to worry about people 'ratting' on him, as he gave a lot of people the proceeds from the banks that he was robbing. That was, though, all except for Aaron Skerritt, who was killed by the Kelly Gang for being paid to provide information on there whereabouts.
What must be said, though, is that he was a rat bag. Ned robbed, killed and generally broke the law. he was a self proclaimed horse thief, and he admitted stealing many horses (of which he was never tried or found guilty of). He is now a famous Aussie icon, and we all know the famous words he used when he was being hung - 'such is life'. The book was a good read, and it seemed very accurate. At the end of it all, you loved Ned, and detested Police Officers, which I think was the author's intent.
One final thing - there is a comment in the book that goes along the lines of - Ned Kelly was an outlaw, and is now infamous in Australia. He never, though, really changed anything in our history, other than to write his name indelibly upon it. He lead a team of four men - he was a great leader, very courageous and very driven. If he could have mustered a bigger team, maybe int the hundreds, he may have had a bigger impact on Australian history (especially politically), where he may have been able to petition some sort of change, maybe against laws and a police force that at the time persecuted the innocent.
3.75 out of 5 - a good read, and interesting.
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