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Eltham Bookshop Book Reviews.
In Guantanamo: What the World Should Know
Michael Ratner, Ellen Ray $25.00
This deeply troubling exposé of the situation in Guantanamo Bay is essential reading in these unsure times. Everybody is aware that things are not quite right in the American military prison, but what is often lacking from conversation and reporting on the subject are hard facts and details. Investigative journalists Michael Ratner and Ellen Ray here reveal some of the atrocities committed by American forces, and examine the legally dubious justification for the imprisonment without charge of hundreds of individuals. The case for human rights, sadly, cannot be won by passion alone: the importance often lies in coupling passion with knowledge, being well versed in the harsh reality. This riveting and determined book provides such an opportunity.
Indonesia's Secret War in Aceh
John Martinkus $32.95
With his new book, Australian journalist John Martinkus proves once again that he is not afraid to try to bring to light the crimes of higher powers. Like his sincere, honest reporting on East Timor, Martinkus' examination of the war and human rights abuses in Aceh makes for thrilling yet shocking reading. He levels criticism not only at the Indonesian military and government for the contempt they have shown for human rights, but also at the deafening international silence on the issue. For those who seek to maintain the international community's silence, this book is a scourge; for those who dream of a peaceful world, this book is an important tool in the fight against violence.
A Small Corner of Hell:
Dispatches From Chechnya
Anna Politkovskaya $49.95
The school hostage drama in Ossetia has again raised Chechnya as a world issue. Before making hasty judgments, read this despairing yet resolute description of daily life in Chechnya. Anna Politkovskaya has long reported the side of the war in Russia's breakaway province that the government is desperate to keep hidden: this collection of articles and interviews with ordinary Chechens and Russian politicians will make you question your conception of just what terrorism is. From the exploitation of Chechen oil to the rape, murder and public cover ups that constitute everyday existence for the Muslim nation, Politkovskaya makes sure that the reader will never again take the pronouncements of a 'war on terrorism' at face value.
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