War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom (with DVD)

Book Description

Fresh from his tour as an embedded journalist in Iraq, bestselling author Oliver North reports in living detail the story of the real Iraq War. Includes 50-minute dvd of War Stories episode (FOX News Network) on the War in Iraq.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent stories by a Marine about our troops in combat.......2006-06-27

This book is a series of snapshots in time covering the exploits of Marines and Soldiers in combat. Since it is written by a Marine, the stories are told from their perspective as opposed to being filtered by the media.

It is a positive portrayal of the events in Iraq. Although the author does insert some political statements into his narrative, his views are not all that different from many of the troops he writes about.

If you support the troops, or know one, and you want to understand what their life is like...you will love this book. If you do not support the troops and/or the only one you have ever met was an actor playing one on a Hollywood screen set...you will hate this book.

Great.......2005-05-02

This is a great book. It gets you right in with the action and keeps you reading. What is amazing is that it is real reality and not fiction. Lots of little details are thrown in at the appropriate times, for information and education. Really easy to read and also easy to read in small sections at a time.

Great read.......2004-10-17

Amazing first hand view of our Marines and soldiers in the field. Easy read (even for those without military experience). God bless our American heroes!

War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom .......2004-08-31

I received the book on time. Although I bought the book used, it looked brand-new. I was very satisfied with my purchase experience.

How things have changed.......2004-06-02

Being a combat veteran of an earlier era I found Col. North's book a fascinating read on how warfare is waged in this new age of high tech and high media exposure. Unlike steril fact books, this gives you the perspective of the infantrymen who are on the ground, dealing with it every day. I have handed this book off to several of my buddies, who have also been "out of the loop" for a number of years, telling them it's good look at how things REALLY were in Iraq vs. the tainted picture portrayed by the media.

Book Description

Now in paperback, an insightful book that answers the questions that America wants answered.

Based on his private journals and his public interviews, A Fist in the Hornet's Nest is Richard Engel's harrowing, fascinating, and informative view of Iraq from street level. Through his wartime reportage, Engel has emerged as one of the preeminent journalists of his generation and an invaluable source on Middle Eastern affairs.

For those in search of an in-depth analysis or those trying to make sense of the recent war, Engel's book is as elucidating as it is riveting. His critical assessments for the future of the Gulf region and his analysis of where the American campaign succeeded and where, in some instances, it has failed constitute a book that is sure to be an invaluable contribution to the Middle Eastern debate for years to come.

Download Description

Written from the Baghdad streets leading up to, during and following the war, this book, from the publishers of the New York Times bestseller THE CELL, will examine from street level the impact of the recent war as well as critical assessments for the future of the Gulf region.

Customer Reviews:

A good story that deserves a richer telling.......2006-08-19

Despite my giving this book a rather lukewarm rating, it does have several things to recommend it. Of these, the strongest is Richard Engel himself. His own story is a pretty impressive one. Fresh out of college, he decided the next frontier of journalism was going to be the Middle East. So he moved to Cairo and taught himself to speak and read Arabic (that right there puts him head-and-shoulders above probably 95 percent of the Americans reporting from the Mideast). With war in Iraq imminent, he made the effort to get to -- and remain in -- Baghdad when most other reporters were getting out. He was rewarded for this by becoming, after Peter Arnett was fired, the only western reporter still in the city as the bombs were falling. So I can't fault Engel at all for his bravery, his foresight, or his commitment to "telling the story."

Another thing Engel should be credited for is his decision while in Baghdad not to watch what other reporters or networks were saying about what was happening around him. (In part, he admits, this was due to the lack of functioning televisions during the bombing campaign. But that reinforced more than prompted his decision.) Engel's coverage therefore avoided the circular nature of reporting-on-what-other-reporters-are-saying that becomes so common during big news events. It also gives the central portion of this book a sort of claustrophobic immediacy -- like most other Iraqis, Engel is only aware of what's happening around him, not what larger picture may be unfolding around him. It's this that makes for the most interesting and evocative part of the book. On the other hand, when the author pulls his focus back -- like the clichéd technique at the end of movies -- to discuss The Big Questions about Iraq's future, the book becomes rather less interesting. Some 30 months after it was published, it's also now obviously fairly dated.

If all that makes for a generally positive review, what I kept coming back to as I was reading "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" is that the writing itself -- the actual prose -- is fairly pedestrian. I suppose you could propose some theory about television reporters, whose primary medium is visual, not having cause to develop descriptive writing skills, and you might have something to that. At any rate, I thought the narrative here was often flat, the metaphors frequently tired, and many scenes that could have justified some vivid descriptive writing instead ended up lacking the emotional punch they deserved. But as a snapshot of the war (as opposed to whatever you want to call the period we're in now), "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" still may be worth a look.

Incredible from start to finish.......2006-07-27

As I plowed through Richard Engel's experiences, a line from the (crappy) movie Armageddon kept ringing in my ears, "...scariest environment imaginable...."

And to think so many brave reporters have literally put their lives on the line to bring us their stories from these tattered war zones. Bottom line, Richard Engel's book is stellar in every way, and I thoroughly enjoyed my read. I found myself wishing the book was longer, thus spreading out my reading as I didn't want it to end. It was not only informative, but so well written. I don't think I've read a more intimate story, and told in such a descriptive manner, without losing the story's momentum.

Surprisingly, I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Engel has a knack for phrasing/wording certain passages with comedic flair, which helped soften the hard edges of the ugliness of war and all of it's brutalities.

As stated in a previous review, I think Hollywood should snatch up the rights to Engel's book as it would make for an amazing theatrical film. Heck, they made that horrid novel Jarhead into a movie-- directed by Sam Mendes of all people. By those standards, Terrence Malik, Steven Soderberg or Micheal Winterbottom (who directed the incredible movie 'Code 46' and 'The Road to Guantanamo') should direct 'A Fist in the Hornet's Nest'.

With the current debacle in Lebanon/Israel well under way, I'm wondering if Engel will have a chance to write another book based on his current experiences covering the conflict.

dated and weak analysis, racist?.......2005-12-31

Engel's book provides an interesting look at what it was like to report on the beginning of the war, however the book shows its age and bias right in the title. Engel seemed to think in 2004 that the war was actually over when we can see today (and I'd think he could have seen at the time) the the war was really just starting. Engel's analysis relies heavily on statements from the US military and discounts Iraqi sources and what he had to be seeing. This book is really heavily pro-war and pro-Israel. Background about his time in Palestine relates events during the Intifada as if the Israeli forces were always forced to respond to Palestinian attacks and fails to see the real situation of brutality and occupation by Israel as causing much of the violence. Engel sees the Iraq War in the same light. The Iraqis are painted as stupid, uncivilized, simple, savages and the US soldiers are just young heros doing their duty. Racist really when you think about it. Anyway, interesting reading if you want to know what it was like for him reporting the war, if you can ignore his analysis and bias.

Excellent and Timely Insights!.......2005-12-27

One of the most impressive (though not explicit) topics in the book is Engel's initiative and fortitude in becoming a mid-East reporter - without any initial contract, contacts, or local language ability.

An early observation by the author was the wide-spread and intense hatred of Israel. Arabs noted that Israel repeatedly ignored U.N. resolutions that it disagreed with - and the U.S. did nothing, while using Hussein's violation of U.N. direction as an excuse to invade.

Just prior to the U.S. taking Baghdad Baath party members set up control points at major intersections - purportedly to defend the city. The acclaimed Republican Guard had been disbanded into homes on the outside of the city - the plan was that they would then come out and encircle the Americans who entered Baghad. It didn't happen.

Pre-invasion "minders" for press personnel generally could not "see" (report) reality - would deny events occuring in front of them such as people fleeing the city.

Iraqi's did not believe Americans with their high-tech weapons accidently hit civilians - thus, this advantage became somewhat of a liability. The blackout caused by U.S. bombing led to another wave of refugees and the initiation of widespread looting. The looters then compounded the electricity problem by stealing wires, etc., leaving citizens with unrealistic expectations for the Americans to resume electrical service.

Shortly after the U.S. takeover, Engel left for ten weeks. Upon returning he found many buying CDs or tapes of torture during Hussein's reign - not because they were voyeurs or sympathetic but because it provided insight into the reality they hadn't known. Numerous newspapers and political parties arose in Saddam's absence.

With their new freedom, many took the opportunity to settle old scores - murder soared to a rate 14X that of New York City. Price controls ended, many renters were forced out into the street, and many had difficulty affording daily living due to the combination of inflation and loss of their government-supplied job.

Engels estimated that there were only 50-75 groups antagnostic to the Americans, focused in the Sunni area. The groups would hire others to do their dirty work. Unfortunately the struggle attracted others from outside Iraq to come in and fight the Americans. Engels did believe that the Iraqi Governing Council, appointed by Bremer, was not a rubber-stamp group. However, while Engels is optimistic at the end, subsequent events have not proven very positive.

A waste of time never to be repeated again!.......2005-03-06

First of all, I would like to advice all that this wasn't just a waste of money but a HUGE! waste of time, Richard keeps talking with a pro-kurd point of view and defends iran despite it is part of the Axis of evil! And under which circumstances did he give himself the RIGHT! to make sunnis 20% though they are 32-37% according to the CIA factbook and 60%! according to the Absolute truth! [...]
A Fist in the Hornet's Nest is a book to stay away from if you want to know the truth because it expresses the opinion of a pro-kurd and an iran sympathizer! For the truth we will need a Neutral point of view!

Stay Tuned: A History of American Broadcasting, Third Edition (Volume in LEA's Communication Series) (Lea's Communication Series)

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Stay Tuned: A History of American Broadcasting, Third Edition (Volume in LEA's Communication Series) (Lea's Communication Series)
Christopher H. Sterling , and John Michael Kittross
Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Media Programming: Strategies and Practices

ASIN: 0805826246

Book Description

Since its initial publication in 1978, Stay Tuned has been recognized as the most comprehensive and useful single-volume history of American broadcasting and electronic media available. This third edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to bring the story of American broadcasting forward to the 21st century, affording readers not only the history of the most important and pervasive institution affecting our society, but also providing a contextual transition to the Internet and other modern media.

The enthusiasm of authors Christopher H. Sterling and John Michael Kittross is apparent as they lead readers through the development of American electronic mass media, from the first electrical communication (telegraph and telephone); through radio and television; to the present convergence of media, business entities, programming, and delivery systems, including the Internet. Their presentation is engaging, as well as informative, promoting an interest in history and making the connections between the developments of yesterday and the industry of today.

Features of this third edition include:
*chronological and topical tables of contents;
*new material reflecting modern research in the field;
*a new chapter describing historical developments from 1988 through to the current day;
*an expanded bibliography, including Web site and museum listings;
*an updated and expanded glossary and chronology; and
*extensive statistical data of the development of television and radio stations, networks, advertising, programming, audiences, and other aspects of broadcasting.

Designed for use in undergraduate and graduate courses on the history of American mass media, broadcasting, and electronic media, Stay Tuned also fits well into mass communication survey courses as an introduction to electronic media topics. As a chronicle of American broadcasting, this volume is also engaging reading for anyone interested in old radio, early television, and the origins and development of American broadcasting.

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad Before, During & After the War

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A worms-eye view of Iraq

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad Before, During & After the War
Richard Engel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: B000JGWE6S

Customer Reviews:

A worms-eye view of Iraq.......2007-09-27

The author, Richard Engel, has invested many of his most productive years in learning the middle east, including the arabic languages. He was the only U.S. reporter in Baghdad when the U.S. troops invaded the city.

While the book is modest, it cuts to the heart of the problems faced by Iraqi's and others in the mid-east. His narrative is the unadorned, unvarnished account of his time in Iraq, where he is still working on assignment.

I bought the book because of seeing Richard on several CNN and ABC news programs and appearances on TV news programs where he served as a panelist. His comments always stand out because he speaks directly to the question and gives honest, if not always politically expedient, answers.

I recommend this book to any who are seriously interested in our involvement in the mid-east.

Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television

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Essential for understanding the development of TV as a business and technology
This is an exceptional telling of the story of television.

Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
Erik Barnouw
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195064844

Book Description

Based on the classic History of Broadcasting in the United States, Tube of Plenty represents the fruit of several decades' labor. When Erik Barnouw--premier chronicler of American broadcasting and a participant in the industry for fifty years--first undertook the project of recording its history, many viewed it as a light-weight literary task concerned mainly with "entertainment" trivia. Indeed, trivia such as that found in quiz programs do appear in the book, but Barnouw views them as part of a complex social tapestry that increasingly defines our era. To understand our century, we must fully comprehend the evolution of television and its newest extraordinary offshoots. With this fact in mind, Barnouw's new edition of Tube of Plenty explores the development and impact of the latest dramatic phases of the communications revolution. Since the first publication of this invaluable history of television and how it has shaped, and been shaped by, American culture and society, many significant changes have occurred. Assessing the importance of these developments in a new chapter, Barnouw specifically covers the decline of the three major networks, the expansion of cable and satellite television and film channels such as HBO (Home Box Office), the success of channels catering to special audiences such as ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) and MTV (Music Television), and the arrival of VCRs in America's living rooms. He also includes an appendix entitled "questions for a new millennium," which will challenge readers not only to examine the shape of television today, but also to envision its future.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for understanding the development of TV as a business and technology.......2006-08-09

This is a generous single-volume condensation of Erik Barnouw's seminal three-volume HISTORY OF BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STATES. It is not a perfect book--took much is left out for that--but it does provide any student of American TV with an essential overview of many aspects in the birth and development of the medium. Despite the great length of the book, even in the single-volume abridgment, there are some curious omissions, but the strong points of the book are very strong indeed and make the book one of the crucial volumes for any personal library on television.

Barnouw tells in wonderful (and wonderfully entertaining) detail the development of the technologies that allowed the existence of radio and television, as well as the economic realities that turned it into the massive business that it has long been. He also explores the political aspects of the medium, both in terms of serving as part of the Fourth Estate by providing oversight to government actions and policies, and the erosion of that role as right wing groups have undermined that role (Barnouw anticipates the ultimate melding of right wing politics and corporate owned media, while at the same time crying crocodile tears over the mythical liberal media). He is also exceptional at detailing what kinds of shows arose at what time and what the constituent factors were. Even if one has a pretty decent idea of what was happening on TV at what time, Barnouw will both broaden and deepen one's understanding of the medium.

Nonetheless, while this is an outstanding book, one can't help but be struck by what was left out. For instance, there is no mention of a large number of seminal television shows. Although one of the most popular shows on TV in the fifties, THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW with Silvers as Sgt. Bilko got no mention at all. THE TWILIGHT ZONE was one of the best-written and iconic shows of all time, yet it is not discussed at all. Though I was never a fan of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, it was nearly as popular as THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, which receives extensive notice. One recognizes that there are time restrictions, but these omissions are significant. There is also an amazing neglect of British Television shows. SECRET AGENT MAN aka DANGER MAN received no mention nor did the massively influential MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS.

This all highlights the book's strength. It is far weaker in discussing the aesthetics of TV than examining it as an industry and as a technology. The cut off point for the book is the late eighties, yet not a single word deals with the enormous growth of television as an art form in that decade. The most important show that decade by far was HILL STREET BLUES. Virtually every series (what Barnouw would call a telefilm) in the history of prime time television prior to HILL STREET BLUES adhered to the episodic format, each series consisting of a series of self-contained segments that would resolve all of that week's action and then be forgotten by the next week and the next episode. Some prime time soap operas did use the serial format, with the action spilling over from week to week, but none of these enjoyed any critical acclaim and were at best contained rather simplistic plots. HILL STREET BLUES, on the other hand, though it tried to resolve one story arc each week, contained multiple story arcs and possessed a remarkably complex narrative style. This revolutionized television narrative and made possible subsequent shows as various as ST. ELSEWHERE, THE X-FILES, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 24, THE GILMORE GIRLS, FARSCAPE, ER, THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER, LOST, and VERONICA MARS (the list could go on and on and on). In other words, almost everything good on TV can be said to have evolved out of what HILL STREET BLUES wrought. Yet, Barnouw does not mention HILL STREET BLUES even once. The development of the multiple story arc series was the greatest aesthetic development not merely of the eighties, but one of the two or three most important developments ever, yet Barnouw simply doesn't notice.

But for understanding the history of television as a business and the technology it is rooted in, Barnouw's book stands alone. Most people imagine the story of television beginning in the fifties or perhaps the late forties, but Barnouw begins in the late 19th century with Marconi. This isn't just a book that any more-than-casual student of TV ought to read; it is one they MUST read.

This is an exceptional telling of the story of television........1998-09-30

Erik Barnouw tells the story of television from the beginning. It does not begin with Uncle Miltie and I Love Lucy, in fact Milton Berle doesn't appear until page 117. This is a story of television which begins seven decades earlier, when the first piece of the puzzle which would become television was unveiled: the telephone. This, Barnouw recognizes, is the birth of television, because it fired the imaginations of scientists and engineers, artists and entrepreneurs, and, perhaps most importantly, boys plowing fields with their horse teams.

The stories of the young geniuses like Marconi and Farnsworth capture the imagination, and Barnouw highlights these heros' struggles in the wars waged by RCA against each of them. Greater attention is due Edwin Howard Armstrong, another young genius who was crushed by the monstrous corporation, but Barnouw gives Armstrong more than most. By the time RCA premieres television service in 1939, the reader understands that television has already had a tremendous impact on America.

Television's greatest moments are here, and Barnouw does a excellent job of devoting appropriate amounts of time to each. The author recognizes how interwoven television has become in our society and some chapter breaks are measured by historical events, rather than by eras of television. The end of World War II and the assassination of JFK not only marked shifts in our nation's history, but in television as well. What followed were not historical events, as before TV, but media events.

Book Description

Why black people suffer today
Why black people don't have money today
Why black people haven't travelled to the moon today
THIS is the reason why:
We were in our homeland, without troubles
We were minding our own business
Some people came from a faraway land
They fought us and took our land
They took our people as slaves and destroyed our towns
Our troubles started at that time

Our riches they took away to their land
In return they gave us their colony
They took our culture away from us
They gave us their culture which we don't understand
Black people, we don't know ourselves
We don't know our ancestral heritage
We fight each other every day
We are never together at all —
THAT is why black people suffer today

Musician, political critic, and hedonist, international superstar Fela Anikulapo-Kuti created a sensation throughout his career. In his own country of Nigeria he was simultaneously adulated and loathed, often by the same people at the same time. His outspoken political views and advocacy of marijuana smoking and sexual promiscuity offended many, even as his musical brilliance enthralled them. In his creation of afrobeat, he melded African traditions with African-American and Afro-Caribbean influences to revolutionize world music.

Although harassed, beaten, and jailed by Nigerian authorities, he continued his outspoken and derisive criticism of political corruption at home and economic exploitation from abroad. A volatile mixture of personal characteristics—charisma, musical talent, maverick lifestyle, populist ideology, and persistence in the face of persecution—made him a legend throughout Africa and the world. Celebrated during the 1970's as a musical innovator and spokesman for the continent's oppressed masses, he enjoyed worldwide celebrity during the 1980's and was recognized in the 1990's as a major pioneer and elder statesman of African music. By the time of his death in 1997 from AIDS-related complications, Fela had become something of a Nigerian institution.

In Africa, the idea of transnational alliance, once thought to be outmoded, has gained new currency. In African-America, during a period of increasing social conservatism and ethnic polarization, Africa has re-emerged as a symbol of cultural affirmation. At such a historical moment, Fela's music offers a perspective on race, class, and nation on both sides of the Atlantic. As Professor Veal demonstrates, over three decades Fela synthesized a unique musical language while also clearing—if only temporarily—a space for popular political dissent and a type of counter-cultural expression rarely seen in West Africa. In the midst of political turmoil in Africa, as well as renewal of pro-African cultural nationalism throughout the diaspora, Fela's political music functions as a post-colonial art form that uses cross-cultural exchange to voice a unique and powerful African essentialism.

Customer Reviews:

Great mix of enthusiasm and erudition.......2007-07-25

I have just finished this book and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening read. To be sure, this is an academic book, and it reads like one. But Veal is an excellent writer and his tone is appropriate for the depth he brings to his subject. This book takes the reader on a rich journey through about 50 years of African popular music. But it also does much more than that. I learned a huge amount about Fela's roots, the political background of his family, and the cultural and political backdrop of post-independence Nigeria. Since I am interested in African music and African culture, I read this book alongside Karl Meier's "This House Has Fallen" and they made perfect sense together. I really understood Fela as an embodiment of Nigeria's triumphs and tragedies.

The review by "spice-the-cat" leaves me baffled. It doesn't sound as if this reviewer has read the same book as the rest of us. Yes, Veal does take an admiring stance on Fela, but throughout the book he also takes Fela to task for all of his inconsistencies. There are several sections that examine the inconsistent and problematic aspects of Fela's behaviour toward women. Fela's poor treatment of his musicians is touched on several times. There is an entire chapter devoted to the theme of Fela's privileged origins, the de facto class advantage it gave him over the musicians, women and other members of his "Kalakuta" commune, and his abuse of this advantage. The physical "discipline" meted out to commune members is also chronicled several times (chapter five and seven), and again, Veal takes a clearly critical stance. Fela's relationship with the "magician" Professor Hindu is presented in a way that reveals it to be fraudulent and delusional. Veal's way of highlighting these points is not polemical or simplistically judgmental. He presents all of the available evidence, pro and con, and allows the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. I think this approach is appropriate for such a controversial, complex and hotly-contested figure as Fela. I agree with the other reviews on this site, all of which praise the book's objectivity.

As far as the academic tone of the book, I think it is great to have a topic in black/African popular music treated with the seriousness that it deserves. This ultimately does justice to the subject.

I urge anyone interested in African music to read this book!

Fela Deserves Better.......2007-06-30

I have mixed feelings about this book and while any book about Fela Kuti is to be welcomed, I don't think this is the definitive one and I do think that Fela's legacy deserves better.

There is no doubt that the author is probably the most well informed of all those who have written about this iconic figure, the man who was the most important musician ever to come out of Africa. The research is unquestionably thorough and there is as much detail as any admirer would wish to know. The problem, for me, is that any biographer should be invisible in the work he's writing. Michael Veal, unfortunately, isn't and at times his presence looms larger than the subject of his book.

Throughout the narrative there are long sections where the author writes an analysis of Fela and his relationship to the African experience. These passages are written in the most stilted and uncomfortable academic manner. The effect of this is to give the impression that the work is a cut and paste job between outside sources and one of the author's academic theses, an impression which renders the book an uncomfortable mix of good biography and dull collegiate essaying. There were times when reading these sections I wondered just what Fela would have made of this awkward literary style - and I suspect he would have been dismissive and written a song which parodied it.

The other fault with the book is the distinct lack of objectivity from the author. That Michael Veal is in awe of the man is not in doubt, but awe is not the best starting place for a biography. The dichotomy of the contrasting aspects of Fela's personality is acknowledged on many occasions, but there is absolutely no attempt to analyse the negative aspects of his character. There is no examination of how Fela's stance in representing the poor and downtrodden contrasts with his ill treatment of his band members, there is no analysis of how, later in life such a forceful personality came under the influence of such an obvious charlatan as Dr Hindu and there is no mention, whatsoever, of the violence and brutality meted out by Fela's own people to those who lived in his commune. Details of which are well documented by other authors and numerous journalists. A biography should look at all aspects of the subject's life and this one fails the reader with excessive bias and a lack of balance.

Michael Veal's involvement in maintaining interest in Fela and his music is to be welcomed. His active support in the ten years since the death of this icon and his involvement in facilitating the current availability of much of Fela's early, and more obscure work, is nothing short of admirable. Perhaps the final step would be a wholesale edit of this biography to produce a balanced and more readable work. Then, perhaps, we would have the definitive story of Fela Kuti.

Surprisingly Good.......2004-06-01

Fela was a true artist - a man committed to his music, who was intelligent and aware enough to see the disgrace of what his country had become. Despite beatings, arrests and the murder of his mother, he simply refused to remain silent about what was going on in Nigeria and Africa.

But if his music was merely okay, he'd be a footnote in music history. As it was, Fela produced some of the most challenging, abrasive, rhythmic and simply awesome music ever produced.

I thought that it would be impossible for a book to capture and explain this truly wild soul - but this one did a very good job. Amazingly, it began life as an academic paper. "Amazingly" because it is vibrant, detailed and completely entertaining.

A Masterpice on a Musical Icon.......2002-12-10

Michael - has managed to do what very authors have been able to do with Fela's Biography....lay down a balanced view point of the great but yet very complicated man. This book here caputres not just the actions but the Philosophy behind such actions. What i found very informative about this book is the amount of education I received on the History of African music - it kinda sets you on the right track to research more. Fela was no doubt a legend during and after his lifetime and Mr veal captured that well. I very good read - a must read for any african/african american youth.

Everybody Say YEAH YEAH!!.......2001-10-17

First I 'd like to thank Michael Veal for the work he did on this book. It is the best book I have read so far. My parents are Nigerian, however I have lived in the US all my life. I have always been a big fan of Fela (introduced to his music by my Dad), but never fully understood the reason he did some things he did, or some of his lyrics. Now I do. The book is really deep-rooted, cutting across all boudries, giving me an insight into Nigeria and the man called FELA in a way nobody has ever been able to. This book has changed my attitude towards life forever. May God bless Fela, and may he rest in peace forever!

Tabloid Culture: Trash Taste, Popular Power, and the Transformation of American Television (Console-ing Passions)

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A Very Illuminating Examination of What Others Fear To Touch

Tabloid Culture: Trash Taste, Popular Power, and the Transformation of American Television (Console-ing Passions)
Kevin Glynn , and Kevin Glynn
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822325691

Book Description

During the latter half of the 1980s and throughout the 1990s, television talk shows, infotainment news, and screaming supermarket headlines became ubiquitous in America as the âtabloidizationâ of the nation’s media took hold. In Tabloid Culture Kevin Glynn draws on diverse theoretical sources and an unprecedented range of electronic and print media in order to analyze important aspects and key debates that have emerged around this phenomenon.
Glynn begins by situating these media shifts within the context of Reaganism, which gave rise to distinctive ideological currents in society and led the socially and economically disenfranchised to access new forms of information via the exploding television industry. He then tackles specific daytime talk shows and tabloid newscasts such as Jerry Springer and A Current Affair, reality-TV programs such as Cops and America’s Most Wanted, and two different supermarket tabloids’ coverage of the O.J. Simpson case. Tabloid Culture is the first book to treat these diverse yet related media forms and events in tandem. Rejecting the elitist dismissal of sensationalist media, Glynn instead traces the cultural currents and countercurrents running through their forms and products. Locating both reactionary and oppositional meanings in these texts, he demonstrates how these particular media genres draw on and contribute to important cultural struggles over the meanings of race, sexuality, gender, class, ânormality,â âtruth,â and âreality.â The study ends by discussing how the growing use of the Internet provides an entirely new realm in which such material can circulate, distort, inform, and flourish.
This innovative and provocative study of contemporary mainstream media culture in the United States will be valuable to those interested in both print and television media, the cultural-political influence of the Reagan era, and American culture in general.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Illuminating Examination of What Others Fear To Touch.......2005-12-03

Please do not listen to the other review of this book: it is clearly written by someone who hasn't read Glynn's carefully argued, very interesting examination of "trash" television. "John Q. Public," as he calls himself in the review, seems to make it sound so simple -- networks play things because they get ratings. But what Glynn answers in a way that all of John Q's love for PBS can't is WHY they get ratings. The answer to this question has so often been astoundingly shortsighted and downright insulting: "People watch trash TV because they're stupid, don't know any better, and never will" or something as asinine and simplistic as that.

But Glynn digs into the populist in a very interesting way, and what he finds is that these shows frequently validate everyday experiences and knowledge of everyday, working class viewers in ways that many instances of "high culture" on television don't. Glynn's point is not at all about aesthetics or artistic value (as John Q. Public assumes, having not read the book, that it is), as he largely leaves this question for the reader to answer: his point is about not just disregarding all these programs AND all their viewers because one has made such artistic judgements. In "trash" TV, Glynn finds many democratic tendencies.

At times, Glynn can overdo it, and at other times, his enthusiasm to defend overlooks, or rushes through, disturbing political content of the shows (such as inherent racism or sexism), but most of the time he is remarkably careful to balance such tensions.

This is an academic text, and so may not be ideal for everyone, though it is reasonably accessible. So, if you want to go beyond complaining that such television shouldn't exist, and if you're actually interested in why it does, and why so many people turn to it, I highly recommend this book. I share the reviewer "John Q Public's" regard for PBS, though I feel it has turned its back on many Americans, and on the real John Q Publics, so to speak. Glynn's book looks at what those John Qs are watching and starts to ask the reasons why. (For more on PBS and "the masses," though, I'd highly recommend Laurie Ouellette's *Viewers Like You?*)

Small Screens, Big Ideas: Television in the 1950s

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Small Screens, Big Ideas: Television in the 1950s

Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1860646824

Book Description

Small Screens, Big Ideas brings together specially commissioned writings from British and American contributors to explore themes of diversity in the formative period of the 1950s. With radical changes taking place in terrestrial television, this is a timely moment to revisit the decade when television's very novelty was its most striking feature. Discussing television's role in the construction of national and gender identities and its relation to other media such as theatre, film, and radio, this fresh exploration is based on detailed case-studies of this complex era.

Dirty Discourse: Sex and Indecency in Broadcasting

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Must for professional, scholar, lawyer, or just curious
dishing the dirt

Dirty Discourse: Sex and Indecency in Broadcasting
Robert L. Hilliard , and Michael C. Keith
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 140515053X

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Changes in society, the pluralistic nature of the citizens and the geographic breadth of our nation preclude a common definition of what is indecent, profane, or obscene. What may appear to be "dirty discourse " to some may be considered to be laudable satire to others. Renowned media scholars and authors Robert Hilliard and Michael Keith examine the blue side of the airways in Dirty Discourse: Sex and Indecency in Broadcasting. This first-ever analysis of the history and nature of off-color program content explores the treatment of once-forbidden topics in the electronic media, investigating the beliefs, attitudes and actions of those who present such material, those who condemn it, and those who defend it.Written from a social and cultural perspective, Dirty Discourse concentrates on the means of greatest distribution - radio, with its phenomenal growth of "shock jocks " and rap music lyrics, and provides coverage of television and the Internet. The book shows how and why broadcasting has evolved from the ribald antics of the Roaring 20s to today 's streaming cybersex, contrasting the standards and actions of the FCC v. the First Amendment amidst the over-the-air and in-the-court battles of over-the-top radio. It examines political pressures and legal considerations, including Supreme Court decisions, and efforts to protect children from media smut.

Customer Reviews:

Must for professional, scholar, lawyer, or just curious.......2003-09-27

"Dirty Discourse" is a comprehensive examination of indecency and broadcasting. The authors provide interesting examples to explore the social, cultural, and legal developments of indecency in electronic media. The books is well-written and superbly researched. "Dirty Discourse" is cutting-edge reading on contemporary issues surrounding the tensions between the FCC, the First Amendment, and the vast, yet disparate audience that broadcasters strive to serve and the government seeks to protect.

dishing the dirt.......2003-06-19

DD fairly and comprehensively examines a controversial and fascinating subject. An entertaining and informative work.

Broadcasting Freedom: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty

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Broadcasting Freedom: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
Arch Puddington
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0813121582

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“A ground-breaking history of RFE-RL that is both erudite and a delight to read. . . . Should help rescue the radios from the `memory hole' to which their detractors are attempting to consign them.”—American Spectator

“Useful to anyone interested in the minutiae of American foreign policy in Eastern Europe after World War II.”—Washington Post Book World

“A fine telling of a little known U.S. project that prevented the evil empire from exercising a monopoly on news and opinion.”—First Things

“No one measure won the Cold War—but Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty should be in the first rank of those getting the highest medals. Puddington tells the story with style and grace.”—R. James Woolsey

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