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.
Showing posts with label key messages from the book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label key messages from the book. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Book 8 - Blog 1 - Don't Kiss Them Goodbye
Book Details:
Don't Kiss Them Goodbye
Pages: 193
Pages read: 193
Words on page 50: 319 (29 x 11)
Words in book: 61,567 (averaged)
ISBN: 978-1-41651-132-8
Author: Alison Dubois
Published: 2005 by Simon Schuster
Yep, read the book before I started blogging again.
Would you believe it, after watching (very occassionally, really, as I am not a fan of TV) Medium (the show), I have read the book, and learnt more about Alison Dubois. Alison 'speaks to dead people' and predicts the furture. Quite amazing really, though if you are skeptical, I am not sure that this blog will convince you. I enjoyed the book, nevertheless, and there were some great examples of Alison 'gift', as she calls it.
Alison was first contacted by a dead person (her grandfather) at the age of 6. She said that she really was unaware of what it all meant at that age (understandably so, I reckon). She struggled with her parents ignoring her gift, and she said that made it hard for her to both accept her gift, and understand what it all meant. I think, based on that, that Alison was very keen in the book to provide parents with advice on how they should handle kids with similar powers to Alison. Probably good advice, if your kids speak to dead people also. I am not sure how I would manage it all, if my kids every came to me and said that they are talking to old aunty so and so who died a while ago. It must be strange.
Anyway, Alison is certainly able to substanitiate her gift, and it is amazing to read some of the stories to demonstrate her ability. The most powerful for me waas the one where a voice told her to move her bed, then during the night, a car ploughed through her wall and would have killed her, if she had not moved it. That is spooky. She also helps locate missing persons, and she has had some great results there, too.
What I found interesting was that, in the show Medium, Alison dreams a lot of the messages that she receives. In the book, she said that she rarely dreams stuff, she is just able to connect to the gift. Interesting. She consults to the show producers, to keep it authentic. In real life, she is married to an Engineer and has three girls.
Also interesting is her age - she is only 37, my age. Get that. She is a 72 baby. Any she is born on the 24th of January, me 24th of October. She appears to have done so much in her short tim on the planet. Good on her.
See you soon. Keep reading.
Jimmy
Don't Kiss Them Goodbye
Pages: 193
Pages read: 193
Words on page 50: 319 (29 x 11)
Words in book: 61,567 (averaged)
ISBN: 978-1-41651-132-8
Author: Alison Dubois
Published: 2005 by Simon Schuster
Yep, read the book before I started blogging again.
Would you believe it, after watching (very occassionally, really, as I am not a fan of TV) Medium (the show), I have read the book, and learnt more about Alison Dubois. Alison 'speaks to dead people' and predicts the furture. Quite amazing really, though if you are skeptical, I am not sure that this blog will convince you. I enjoyed the book, nevertheless, and there were some great examples of Alison 'gift', as she calls it.
Alison was first contacted by a dead person (her grandfather) at the age of 6. She said that she really was unaware of what it all meant at that age (understandably so, I reckon). She struggled with her parents ignoring her gift, and she said that made it hard for her to both accept her gift, and understand what it all meant. I think, based on that, that Alison was very keen in the book to provide parents with advice on how they should handle kids with similar powers to Alison. Probably good advice, if your kids speak to dead people also. I am not sure how I would manage it all, if my kids every came to me and said that they are talking to old aunty so and so who died a while ago. It must be strange.
Anyway, Alison is certainly able to substanitiate her gift, and it is amazing to read some of the stories to demonstrate her ability. The most powerful for me waas the one where a voice told her to move her bed, then during the night, a car ploughed through her wall and would have killed her, if she had not moved it. That is spooky. She also helps locate missing persons, and she has had some great results there, too.
What I found interesting was that, in the show Medium, Alison dreams a lot of the messages that she receives. In the book, she said that she rarely dreams stuff, she is just able to connect to the gift. Interesting. She consults to the show producers, to keep it authentic. In real life, she is married to an Engineer and has three girls.
Also interesting is her age - she is only 37, my age. Get that. She is a 72 baby. Any she is born on the 24th of January, me 24th of October. She appears to have done so much in her short tim on the planet. Good on her.
See you soon. Keep reading.
Jimmy
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Book 4 - Blog 2 - Close To Flying
Book Details:
Close to Flying
Pages: 304
Pages read: All
Words on page 50: 312 (26 x 12)
Words in book: 94,848 (averaged)
ISBN 9781740666671
Author: Cadel Evans (and Rob Arnold)
Published: 2010 by Hardy Grant Books
Price: $39.99
Well, the fourth book is done (though I am nearly a week behind). I think I will have to go on some sort of reading frenzy, soon. Knock one or two over in quick succession. Actually, the next one will be interesting, it is about Princess Diana. That will be great to read, I never knew much about her.
Anyway, on to Cadel Evans.
This book really was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cadel is a world champion, the photo on the back of the book tells the story, with him in his (five striped) world championship jersey. By the sounds of it, he deserved it, as he has been a consistent competitor for many years now. I really didn't know much about Cadel, and I certainly didn't know how much he has achieved. Particularly, how much he has achieved to make cycling popular. What a guy. Apparently, he is the reason (or one of them) that we all watch the Tour De France on TV now. Even though his predecessors (and there were some good riders, like Robbie McEwen) were great riders, our nation appears to be 'Cadel struck'.
His performances seem to say that he deserves every accolade. His effort over many years have been huge, mate, he rides up to 40,000 ks per year. Holy crap. I thought I was doing well with about 2,000 in the saddle. What a machine. He has twice gotten a second in the Tour, and although he has won other races and gets high rankings in yet more, it is the Tour that everyone remembers. His goal to win one is as yet, unfulfilled, needless to say that I am sure in 2010, he will be on the job. Go son, I will certainly be barracking for Cadel. I am going to start a scrap book, and collect all that I can about the tour, particularly Cadel's performances at this year's tour.
I really enjoyed reading about Cadel (have I mentioned that), though I was surprised that Rob Arnold (in my opinion anyway) went to great pains not to paint Cadel out to be a really likable guy. He said he does not like the publicity, has head butted journos, etc. According to Rob, Cadel is not a really nice guy (look, I might have got that wrong, but hey, whose blog is this). Don't get me wrong, Rob did an outstanding job of the book, and he is very accomplished himself in the sports writing arena, especially writing about cycling. Kudos to him, definitely.
It was great to read that Cadel is happily married to Chiara, and Italian. What a lovely name. She appears to be there for him at every turn, every high and low and every adventure. They still travel home to Aussie to spend some time here each year. Good stuff, mate, you can take the boy out of the bush, but not the bush out of the boy, as they say. He remembers his roots.
The information about drug taking in cycling was amazing to read. No results are really final at the time of racing, as a drug test could mean that people climb the rankings down the track (so to speak) at some stage. Very wierd. And yep, Cadel has always been clean. To the point of being one of the fittest athletes to go through the AIS (in all its years). Good on him. He was just a country kid who loved riding a mountain bike. His training involved just riding for fun. He ended up a world champion mountain biker, and ended up at the AIS where he met some great coaches. He transitioned to road cycling and has changed the world. What a story. There should be more Cadel Evans out there.
Key Messages
Look, there are only 2 points that you need to take from this book:
1. Do what you love and it will not feel like work - cycling has never been hard work for Cadel. He has always loved it, and his love of the bike has kept him riding and kept him improving (oh, and so has his incessant drive to win).
2. Work hard and reap the rewards - Cadel is an example of what is possible, if you spend enough time in the saddle (again so to speak) riding the wave of life. Work hard at what you do, do everything to the best of yoru ability and you will become the best at it. Go son.
Readability: 4.5 (out of 5)
Interesting Information: 4 (out of 5)
Overall book quality: 4.5 (out of 5)
Overall book rating: 8/10
Places visited: 1
People met: 0
Books given away: 1 (to Gemma, my wife)
Books purchased second hand or cheap: 2 (Book 1 and 2 and 3)
Until next time, keep reading.
Jimmy A
Close to Flying
Pages: 304
Pages read: All
Words on page 50: 312 (26 x 12)
Words in book: 94,848 (averaged)
ISBN 9781740666671
Author: Cadel Evans (and Rob Arnold)
Published: 2010 by Hardy Grant Books
Price: $39.99
Well, the fourth book is done (though I am nearly a week behind). I think I will have to go on some sort of reading frenzy, soon. Knock one or two over in quick succession. Actually, the next one will be interesting, it is about Princess Diana. That will be great to read, I never knew much about her.
Anyway, on to Cadel Evans.
This book really was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cadel is a world champion, the photo on the back of the book tells the story, with him in his (five striped) world championship jersey. By the sounds of it, he deserved it, as he has been a consistent competitor for many years now. I really didn't know much about Cadel, and I certainly didn't know how much he has achieved. Particularly, how much he has achieved to make cycling popular. What a guy. Apparently, he is the reason (or one of them) that we all watch the Tour De France on TV now. Even though his predecessors (and there were some good riders, like Robbie McEwen) were great riders, our nation appears to be 'Cadel struck'.
His performances seem to say that he deserves every accolade. His effort over many years have been huge, mate, he rides up to 40,000 ks per year. Holy crap. I thought I was doing well with about 2,000 in the saddle. What a machine. He has twice gotten a second in the Tour, and although he has won other races and gets high rankings in yet more, it is the Tour that everyone remembers. His goal to win one is as yet, unfulfilled, needless to say that I am sure in 2010, he will be on the job. Go son, I will certainly be barracking for Cadel. I am going to start a scrap book, and collect all that I can about the tour, particularly Cadel's performances at this year's tour.
I really enjoyed reading about Cadel (have I mentioned that), though I was surprised that Rob Arnold (in my opinion anyway) went to great pains not to paint Cadel out to be a really likable guy. He said he does not like the publicity, has head butted journos, etc. According to Rob, Cadel is not a really nice guy (look, I might have got that wrong, but hey, whose blog is this). Don't get me wrong, Rob did an outstanding job of the book, and he is very accomplished himself in the sports writing arena, especially writing about cycling. Kudos to him, definitely.
It was great to read that Cadel is happily married to Chiara, and Italian. What a lovely name. She appears to be there for him at every turn, every high and low and every adventure. They still travel home to Aussie to spend some time here each year. Good stuff, mate, you can take the boy out of the bush, but not the bush out of the boy, as they say. He remembers his roots.
The information about drug taking in cycling was amazing to read. No results are really final at the time of racing, as a drug test could mean that people climb the rankings down the track (so to speak) at some stage. Very wierd. And yep, Cadel has always been clean. To the point of being one of the fittest athletes to go through the AIS (in all its years). Good on him. He was just a country kid who loved riding a mountain bike. His training involved just riding for fun. He ended up a world champion mountain biker, and ended up at the AIS where he met some great coaches. He transitioned to road cycling and has changed the world. What a story. There should be more Cadel Evans out there.
Key Messages
Look, there are only 2 points that you need to take from this book:
1. Do what you love and it will not feel like work - cycling has never been hard work for Cadel. He has always loved it, and his love of the bike has kept him riding and kept him improving (oh, and so has his incessant drive to win).
2. Work hard and reap the rewards - Cadel is an example of what is possible, if you spend enough time in the saddle (again so to speak) riding the wave of life. Work hard at what you do, do everything to the best of yoru ability and you will become the best at it. Go son.
Readability: 4.5 (out of 5)
Interesting Information: 4 (out of 5)
Overall book quality: 4.5 (out of 5)
Overall book rating: 8/10
Places visited: 1
People met: 0
Books given away: 1 (to Gemma, my wife)
Books purchased second hand or cheap: 2 (Book 1 and 2 and 3)
Until next time, keep reading.
Jimmy A
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Book 4 - Blog1 - Close to Flying
Book Details:
Close to Flying
Pages: 304
Pages read: 70
Words on page 50: 312 (26 x 12)
Words in book: 94,848 (averaged)
ISBN 9781740666671
Author: Cadel Evans (and Rob Arnold)
Published: 2010 by Hardy Grant Books
Price: $39.99 (sheeshe - is Borders publicly listed - maybe some shares might be in order - the words wounded bull come to mind)
Well, after two average books, it is great to finally find a book that is hard to put down. What a story, Cadel is the man, and Rob Arnold (Journalist and co-author) has done an outstanding job.
So far, the book has touched on Cadel's early years, where he was bought up in the NT. He was bought up by his mum, predominantly, although his father has always been in his life, and understandably, they are very proud parents. Actually, in some ways, to this point in the book anyway, Cadel's story is somewhat akin to Lance Armstrong's. Lance was raised by a single mum, was given a lot of freedom as a kid, and was unconditionally supported by his loving mother to achieve all that he was capable of. By the way, that is another great read, Lance's first book. Looks like Cadel and Lance are competing in France and on the book shelves. Go boys.
Lance was raised, for his early years at least, in Australia's Northern Territory. His mum tells some horrible stories about living up there, about the alcohol, the aboriginals, the lack of services and the general challenges of living in an outback location some 25 years ago. I can relate to a degree, as we lived about 2 to 3 hours drive from where Lance spent his early years. He was near Katherine, we were living in Jabiru (not at the same time - about 20 years apart). But, the life style can be understood once you have seen the area. Just watch Crocodile Dundee, some of that movie was filmed in the area. A bit of trivia for you ...
Unfortunately, I have just got to the point where Cadel has been kicked in the head by a horse (at age 8). Cadel has a fractured skull, is in hospital in a coma, has been operated on and is not assured of making a full recovery. It is obvious that he will (given what he had done since), though I am sure tit will be a hard road. Looking forward to reading about it.
This book is really well written, with an obviously large amount of time and research being dedicated to the project. You know what, it is the first book that I have paid full price for - as part of this blog project at least - and holy crap, did I pay for it, though it is great quality. That might be giving me a message. You get what you pay for, I suppose.
Anyway, I look forward to the rest of the book. Cadel has only had one bike so far, and after a short time, he tried (until dad intervened) unsuccessfully to get the trainer wheels off the bike. Dad assisted, and apparently he has been riding fast since. Cadel was actually a mountain biking world champ, prior to switching to road racing. An accomplished athlete, and someone committed to his profession, obviously. He missed out on winning several Tour De Frances, with second places in both, and I would say that is an unfulfilled dream for him. Good luck with that - big job.
Feelings
Cadel is an inspirational guy - as a general fan and a committed cyclist, it is great to read his story.
I love the story of Cadel's committed mother. They say that behind every good man is a good woman, well what about behind every athlete is a supportive mum. Good on her, and I am sure she would do it all over again.
Not a great deal more to report, as yet.
Until next time, keep reading.
Jimmy A
Close to Flying
Pages: 304
Pages read: 70
Words on page 50: 312 (26 x 12)
Words in book: 94,848 (averaged)
ISBN 9781740666671
Author: Cadel Evans (and Rob Arnold)
Published: 2010 by Hardy Grant Books
Price: $39.99 (sheeshe - is Borders publicly listed - maybe some shares might be in order - the words wounded bull come to mind)
Well, after two average books, it is great to finally find a book that is hard to put down. What a story, Cadel is the man, and Rob Arnold (Journalist and co-author) has done an outstanding job.
So far, the book has touched on Cadel's early years, where he was bought up in the NT. He was bought up by his mum, predominantly, although his father has always been in his life, and understandably, they are very proud parents. Actually, in some ways, to this point in the book anyway, Cadel's story is somewhat akin to Lance Armstrong's. Lance was raised by a single mum, was given a lot of freedom as a kid, and was unconditionally supported by his loving mother to achieve all that he was capable of. By the way, that is another great read, Lance's first book. Looks like Cadel and Lance are competing in France and on the book shelves. Go boys.
Lance was raised, for his early years at least, in Australia's Northern Territory. His mum tells some horrible stories about living up there, about the alcohol, the aboriginals, the lack of services and the general challenges of living in an outback location some 25 years ago. I can relate to a degree, as we lived about 2 to 3 hours drive from where Lance spent his early years. He was near Katherine, we were living in Jabiru (not at the same time - about 20 years apart). But, the life style can be understood once you have seen the area. Just watch Crocodile Dundee, some of that movie was filmed in the area. A bit of trivia for you ...
Unfortunately, I have just got to the point where Cadel has been kicked in the head by a horse (at age 8). Cadel has a fractured skull, is in hospital in a coma, has been operated on and is not assured of making a full recovery. It is obvious that he will (given what he had done since), though I am sure tit will be a hard road. Looking forward to reading about it.
This book is really well written, with an obviously large amount of time and research being dedicated to the project. You know what, it is the first book that I have paid full price for - as part of this blog project at least - and holy crap, did I pay for it, though it is great quality. That might be giving me a message. You get what you pay for, I suppose.
Anyway, I look forward to the rest of the book. Cadel has only had one bike so far, and after a short time, he tried (until dad intervened) unsuccessfully to get the trainer wheels off the bike. Dad assisted, and apparently he has been riding fast since. Cadel was actually a mountain biking world champ, prior to switching to road racing. An accomplished athlete, and someone committed to his profession, obviously. He missed out on winning several Tour De Frances, with second places in both, and I would say that is an unfulfilled dream for him. Good luck with that - big job.
Feelings
Cadel is an inspirational guy - as a general fan and a committed cyclist, it is great to read his story.
I love the story of Cadel's committed mother. They say that behind every good man is a good woman, well what about behind every athlete is a supportive mum. Good on her, and I am sure she would do it all over again.
Not a great deal more to report, as yet.
Until next time, keep reading.
Jimmy A
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Book 1 - Blog 2 - The Girl in the Picture
Book Details:
The Girl in the Picture
The story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War
Pages: 372
Pages read: 372
Cumulative pages read: 372
Words on page 50: 297 (33 x 9)
Words in book: 110, 484 (averaged)
Cumulative words read: 110,484
Well, book one for this blog is complete. It really was a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in learning about the sufferings of war, and even about some of the more detailed aspects of what happened in Vietnam. The book also considers, not in great depth, the happenings after the Vietnam War, and the fact that the country then started warring with Cambodia. They had a tough time, the Vietnamese, none more so than Kim Phuc.
Kim, if she stayed in Vietnam, was destined to a life of poverty. Her communist government was controlling her every move, from what she would stay, to who and when interviewed about her story. She became world renowned, especially at events like world youth events, or major anniversary dates of the Vietnam War (like the 10 and 20 year anniversaries). She was not paid anything for many of the interviews, although at the time that she was living in Vietnam, she received the travel and accommodation free of charge.
Finally, she was given the opportunity to study in Cuba, where she eventually studied English. In her early years there, her quality of life was good, though it deteriorated with the demise of the economic situation in that country. Whilst in Cuba, Kim Married Toan.
Kim eventually got the opportunity to travel to Canada. While she was in Canada she took the opportunity to relocate to that country, and live in total freedom for the first time in her life. She was not controlled by a communist regime any longer. Although her and Toan continued to live in poverty, being unable to work, due to Visa delays, they were ecstatic with the move, and they had children and moved Kim's parents over from Vietnam to live with them. Toan is working two jobs to support the family, though it all seemed rosy at the end of the book.
For all of her suffering, heart ache and pain, Kim Phuc finally found happiness and a life that she longer for, for such a long time. Hers was a journey of endurance and tolerance, underpinned by strong religious beliefs and an at times strong family support network.
Key message from the book
I think there are several key messages to be taken from this book.
1. No matter what happens to you in life, there is always hope. And, there is always someone with a bigger burden to bare. Kim Phuc should have received much needed medical attention in the years following her burns. She did not receive that care until at least 10 years later, so the pain she must have endured during those long years would have been excruciating. If she can bear that burden, we can bear our trials and tribulations.
2. You must always maintain a positive outlook on life. One person that met Kim could not believed how"somebody who has met death up close can be so full of life? Smiling all the time, with everyone." A positive frame of mind with create positive outcomes, as they did for Kim.
3. Believe, and you shall receive. This is true for all aspects of your life. Believe in a greater good, and the fact that the universe provides, and it will do just that. In Kim's case, it was a belief in God that got her through. She believed that "the Napalm bomb was unknown and unexpected, and an "accident" but she came to believe that God, when he saw need, would deliver other "accidents" in her life to offset the suffering and evil wrought by the bomb; these accidents would be good people, strangers to her, wanting to do acts of goodness. How true it is - the universe provides.
Until next time, read hard.
Jimmy A
Oh, and by the way, when we were in Vietnam (today we are on our way home to Australia) we visited the place where the picture of Kim Phuc was taken. It looks different now to what it does in the picture. It was quite amazing to stand somewhere that significantly changed the worlds opinion on war.
Readability: 4 (out of 5)
Intesting Information: 4 (out of 5)
Overall book quality: 4 (out of 5)
Overall: 8 (out of 10)
Places visited: 1
People met: 0
Books given away: 1 (to Gemma, my wife)
Books purchased second hand or cheap: 1
The Girl in the Picture
The story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War
Pages: 372
Pages read: 372
Cumulative pages read: 372
Words on page 50: 297 (33 x 9)
Words in book: 110, 484 (averaged)
Cumulative words read: 110,484
Well, book one for this blog is complete. It really was a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in learning about the sufferings of war, and even about some of the more detailed aspects of what happened in Vietnam. The book also considers, not in great depth, the happenings after the Vietnam War, and the fact that the country then started warring with Cambodia. They had a tough time, the Vietnamese, none more so than Kim Phuc.
Kim, if she stayed in Vietnam, was destined to a life of poverty. Her communist government was controlling her every move, from what she would stay, to who and when interviewed about her story. She became world renowned, especially at events like world youth events, or major anniversary dates of the Vietnam War (like the 10 and 20 year anniversaries). She was not paid anything for many of the interviews, although at the time that she was living in Vietnam, she received the travel and accommodation free of charge.
Finally, she was given the opportunity to study in Cuba, where she eventually studied English. In her early years there, her quality of life was good, though it deteriorated with the demise of the economic situation in that country. Whilst in Cuba, Kim Married Toan.
Kim eventually got the opportunity to travel to Canada. While she was in Canada she took the opportunity to relocate to that country, and live in total freedom for the first time in her life. She was not controlled by a communist regime any longer. Although her and Toan continued to live in poverty, being unable to work, due to Visa delays, they were ecstatic with the move, and they had children and moved Kim's parents over from Vietnam to live with them. Toan is working two jobs to support the family, though it all seemed rosy at the end of the book.
For all of her suffering, heart ache and pain, Kim Phuc finally found happiness and a life that she longer for, for such a long time. Hers was a journey of endurance and tolerance, underpinned by strong religious beliefs and an at times strong family support network.
Key message from the book
I think there are several key messages to be taken from this book.
1. No matter what happens to you in life, there is always hope. And, there is always someone with a bigger burden to bare. Kim Phuc should have received much needed medical attention in the years following her burns. She did not receive that care until at least 10 years later, so the pain she must have endured during those long years would have been excruciating. If she can bear that burden, we can bear our trials and tribulations.
2. You must always maintain a positive outlook on life. One person that met Kim could not believed how"somebody who has met death up close can be so full of life? Smiling all the time, with everyone." A positive frame of mind with create positive outcomes, as they did for Kim.
3. Believe, and you shall receive. This is true for all aspects of your life. Believe in a greater good, and the fact that the universe provides, and it will do just that. In Kim's case, it was a belief in God that got her through. She believed that "the Napalm bomb was unknown and unexpected, and an "accident" but she came to believe that God, when he saw need, would deliver other "accidents" in her life to offset the suffering and evil wrought by the bomb; these accidents would be good people, strangers to her, wanting to do acts of goodness. How true it is - the universe provides.
Until next time, read hard.
Jimmy A
Oh, and by the way, when we were in Vietnam (today we are on our way home to Australia) we visited the place where the picture of Kim Phuc was taken. It looks different now to what it does in the picture. It was quite amazing to stand somewhere that significantly changed the worlds opinion on war.
Readability: 4 (out of 5)
Intesting Information: 4 (out of 5)
Overall book quality: 4 (out of 5)
Overall: 8 (out of 10)
Places visited: 1
People met: 0
Books given away: 1 (to Gemma, my wife)
Books purchased second hand or cheap: 1
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