Ebook Gandhi and the Unspeakable His Final Experiment with Truth James W Douglass 9781626980334 Books
Ebook Gandhi and the Unspeakable His Final Experiment with Truth James W Douglass 9781626980334 Books
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Gandhi and the Unspeakable His Final Experiment with Truth James W Douglass 9781626980334 Books Reviews
- I'd read James Douglass' "JFK and the Unspeakable" and as a believer in Gandhi's message to "Be the Change We Want to See," had to read his story. I was finished reading before I realized a truth about the way in which Mr. Douglass writes. Why could I read about JFK and the horror of his assassination without closing the book? I found out when finishing "Gandhi and the Unspeakable." The author writes in the NATURE and SPIRIT of Gandhi, himself, i.e., Non-violently. That is NOT a simple or easy thing to do. What is more common is to use tons of "action" or "descriptivel" adjectives to draw the emotions of the reader. James Douglass does not. He instinctively understands the assassination of these men is quite dramatic enough and Simply and Beautifully relates the story of their lives, and the people and reasons behind the Unspeakable. He is a remarkable writer and heartily recommend this book.
- Gandhi was a "man for all seasons"....totally committed to his principles...which very much are aligned with Christian Value's of "do to others as you would want them to do to you" .
In spite of rejection & unbelievable challenges internally & internationally he adhered to these values & was at any time willing to sacrifice his life for them. He constantly challenged others...especially those with personal , pseudo-religious or violent agendas...of all Faith's & Nationalities.....to renounce violence, seek the common good ....especially for the poor. He knew well it would result in his death but he lived for Heaven and not this earthly life.....while knowing & preaching that only peace & good will...will ever bring peace to the world.
All Christians should read this book as a model of how they can more fully live & integrate the Christian Life in the world....not in thought & in word but in deed and in truth. - Those readers of the JFK book referenced in the title will also treasure this next installment, in what I understand will be a five book exploration of the Unspeakable (ie, Ghandi, JFK, Malcolm X, MLK & RFK). We can be grateful that Jim Douglass' meticulous research and deep understanding of the 'why' in all of these tragically seminal events in our recent history affords all of us something with which we can change our lives, and our world. Knowledge is the golden key, and instead of fear we can find hope through our understanding. No small feat that, given the tragedies of post-WWII world (and primarily American) history. A treasure, pure & simple.
- Gandhi-ji is a man for all seasons! His valiant sticking to what he believed in and yet trying new ways to challenge himself, never ceases to be an inspiration to me. I also appreciated the valuable "FootNotes" in the back of the book. I DO appreciate people who stand up for what they believe in "come hell or high water" and he certainly did!
- Is there more to the story of Ghandi than many of us thought? Do the profits of war
dictate whether there is Peace in our lifetime? Although not as convincing as his
JFK and the unspeakable, Douglas presents a strong case for a conspiracy against Peace. - This book will be no surprise to readers of Jim Douglass' "JFK and the Unspeakable," but in its deeper message, found in the life-long commitment Gandhi made to prepare to die rather than to give in to violence to liberate his country, we find a model of what it takes to live in peace. The book also offers a crash course in Indian politics which helps us to understand that country today as a rising economy, a nuclear power, and, unfortunately, a nation which long ago abandoned the guidance of "the father of their country."
- This remarkable study of Gandhi, by a major nonviolent activist, provides accurate historical information informed by the author's personal experience in resisting injustice and violence over the past four decades. It tells the story of Gandhi's confronting a fear of death, at the time of the first attempt on his life in South Africa, before he returned to India to lead the movement for independence. He will face death several more times, eventually assassinated by a Hindu radical who hoped to destroy Gandhi's vision of peace, nonviolence, and reconciliation. This book resonates with Douglass' powerful study of the "unspeakable" forces, as Thomas Merton named them, that led to the assassinations of John Kennedy, Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. Douglass alerts us to the corrupting influence of nationalism and fundamentalism that can lead to terrorism and murder by individuals and by the State. Highly recommended for anyone interested in peace, conflict, and nonviolece studies, as well as for the general reader.
- I agree with the three five-star reviews that proceed this review.
While reading the book, I found myself grappling to understand the many nuanced meanings of the term, "Unspeakable." I see several
1) Political realities that we fear to speak of, such as the 1963 coup d'etat in the United States or the fact that Gandhi's legacy in Indian politics has waned while the influence of his killers has grown,
2) The unspeakable horror of nuclear war,
3) The unspeakable terror we all feel in the face of our inevitable mortality,
4) The unspeakable evil that drives men to murder or prepare for nuclear war.
5) Douglass also struggles to speak of a power greater than politics, nuclear bombs, death, and evil-- the unspeakable peace that Rama found by killing Ravana in himself.
But Douglass is not Hindu, and he will not speak "Rama" with his dying breath. He worships the cross-- not only the empty cross of Christ resurrected, but the cross bearing the body of the crucified Jesus. Thus his interest in political assassinations.
We live in the midst of unspeakable horror and unspeakable mystery. Douglass speaks of both.
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