Reviews for Essential America: A Narrative History, Vol. 2

The average rating for Essential America: A Narrative History, Vol. 2 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-04-28 00:00:00 Tran Eldridge Intervista con la storia = Interview with History, Oriana Fallaci She interviewed many world leaders of the time. Interviews with leaders appeared in this book and in the following order of presentation: Henry Kissinger (Henry Alfred Kissinger KCMG is an American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford), Nguyen Van Thieu (The president of South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975), General Giap (Army general in the Vietnam People's Army and a politician), Golda Meir (Israeli stateswoman, politician, teacher, and kibbutznik who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel), Yasser Arafat (Palestinian political leader. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization from 1969 to 2004 and President of the Palestinian National Authority from 1994 to 2004), Hussein of Jordan (King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999), Indira Gandhi (Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was the first and, to date, only female Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India), Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that as the fourth President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973), Willy Brandt (German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1964 to 1987 and served as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1969 to 1974), Pietro Nenni (Italian socialist politician, the national secretary of the Italian Socialist Party and lifetime Senator since 1970. He was a recipient of the Stalin Peace Prize in 1951. He was one of the founders of the Italian Republic and a central figure of the Italian left from the 1920's to the 1960's), Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, also known as Mohammad Reza Shah, was the last Shah of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow in the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979.), Helder Camara (Brazilian Catholic archbishop. A self-identified socialist, he was the Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, serving from 1964 to 1985, during the military dictatorship in Brazil. Câmara was an advocate of liberation theology), Archbishop Makarios (Cypriot clergyman and politician who served as the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus and as the first president of Cyprus), Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangladeshi politician and statesman. He served as the first President of Bangladesh and later as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 17 April 1971 until his assassination on 15 August 1975), and Alexandros Panagoulis (Greek politician and poet. He took an active role in the fight against the Regime of the Colonels in Greece). تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه نوامبر سال 1979میلادی عنوان: مصاحبه با تاریخ؛ نویسنده: اوریانا فالاچی؛ مترجم: پیروز ملکی؛ تهران؛ امیرکبیر، 1357؛ در 399ص، موضوع: مجموعه‌ ای از مصاحبه با شخصیت‌های سیاسی جهان از نویسندگان ایتالیایی - سده 20م کتاب «مصاحبه با تاریخ» برگردان جناب «پیروز ملکی»، چاپ 1356خورشیدی، شامل یک سرسخن از «ماریانا فالاچی»، و تعداد شانزده مصاحبه با: «هنری کیسینجر»؛ «ایندیرا گاندی»؛ «یاسر عرفات»؛ «جرج حبش»؛ «نورودوم سیهانوک»؛ «ملک حسین اردنی»؛ «ژنرال نگوین جیاپ»؛ «پیترو ننی»؛ «علی بوتو»؛ «نگوین وان تیو»؛ «گلدا مایر»؛ «سیریماوو باندرانایکه»؛ «هایله سلاسی»؛ «ویلی برانت»؛ «الکساندر پاناگولیس»؛ و ...؛ ترجمه نصیرالسادات سلامی؛ در 412ص؛ فهرست: «سر سخن، ص 9»؛ «هنری کیسینجر، ص 19»؛ «ایندیرا گاندی، ص 61»؛ «یاسر عرفات، ص 111»؛ «جرج حبش، ص 141»؛ «نورودوم سیهانوک، ص 169»؛ «ملک حسین»، ص 219»؛ «ژنرال جیاپ، ص 241»؛ «ویلیام کلبی، ص 265»؛ «علی بوتو، ص289»؛ «باندارانیکه، ص 335»؛ و «اسقف ماکاریوس، ص 367»؛ تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 11/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Review # 2 was written on 2020-05-04 00:00:00 Alex Pinto Note : The following review is not of the whole of the above book.(It is a review of an interview of former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by the same author). Review : Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci was known for her penetrating questions to world leaders.This interview was conducted in April 1972 when Bhutto invited her to come to Pakistan and she spent several days with him. Bhutto had assumed power just a few months earlier,after the break-up of Pakistan in 1971. It is a fascinating interview,the picture that emerges of Bhutto is that of a highly emotional,intelligent and well read man.He also emerges as a bundle of contradictions and acknowledges his inner conflicts.His mind is Western,his soul Eastern.His criticism of his opponents is fierce.As the author puts it,he could make strange decisions based on whimsy.His narcissism is apparent, too. The author doesn't hesitate to ask uncomfortable questions.Bhutto replies equally bluntly,as if he doesn't care if anyone gets offended.Yahya Khan,Mujib ur Rehman and Indira Gandhi come in for particular flak. Bhutto states that one of the first rules of politics is to appear stupid to decieve opponents.He also says that there is nothing wrong with a politician constantly changing his position on any given issue and contradicting himself. Much of the interview is about the 1971 war.Bhutto directs his anger at Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman.He doesn't rate him highly,saying he had one idea in his head,secession and that he was only capable of shouting and putting on airs.Bhutto disputes the figures of millions of Bengali casualties claimed by Bangladesh during 1971 and terms them grossly exaggerated. The author asks him if Mujib was arrested at his behest,because Bhutto only left Dacca when Mujib was under arrest.Bhutto denies it. He is also very critical of Pakistani president Yahya Khan,who he says tried to arrest him even before arresting Mujib.After taking power,Bhutto put Yahya Khan under house arrest where he eventually died. Former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was so upset by Bhutto's remarks about her that she refused to have a meeting with him.Bhutto doesn't hide his disdain for her. Bhutto professes his admiration for Napoleon,Stalin and Chou en Lai.He talks about his love for reading and his library,his Marxism despite being born rich and his concern for the poor,because his mother came from a poor family. The author also asks him about his two wives.Bhutto replies that he had to marry his cousin when he was a young boy of eleven because his his family asked him to.He was promised cricket bats and never lived with her.His second marriage was by his own choice. At the end,the author asks Bhutto how long he was expected to last.Bhutto's reply,longer than anyone who ruled Pakistan.But he adds that his life had been in danger before,Ayub and Yahya had tried to get him poisoned and shot. (Seven years after the interview,Bhutto would be dead,hanged by General Zia). A fascinating insight into Bhutto's mind.I'm not a Bhutto fan,but have always found his story remarkably interesting.Five stars because of my own interest in the contents of the interview. Can be downloaded from : sanipanhwar.com