Known for The Fest; Less Than Jake and Hot Water Music; Gainesville became a creative hub in the 1980s and '90s for many of punk rock's greats. Whether playing at the Hardback or wild house parties; earnest acts like Against Me!; Spoke and Roach Motel all emerged and thrived in the small northern Florida city. Radon burst onto the scene with chaotic energy while Mutley Chix helped inspire local torchbearers No Idea Records. Through this succinct history; author Matt Walker traces each successive generation's contributions and amplifies the fidelity of the Gainesville scene.
#243437 in Books 2016-10-20Original language:English 8.90 x .80 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 1621640043288 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This book transports a reader to a world where it ...By Bernadette ClarkThis book transports a reader to a world where it took years to get from one place to another by amazingly built wooden crafts. You were cramped into a vessel with at least 500 people and no food/guaranteed; and maybe you made it or maybe not.The Wise Man from the West shakes one out of complacency into a reality where a type communication is brought to an imaginative new level; which actually opened closed doors.I learned to appreciate the unknown world that Marco Polo and others entered and left us with their impressions; writings; maps; and descriptions; which in reality; planted the seeds that bloomed into a new world of which we now must explore and leave our impressions.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating; absorbingBy Theresa HirschfeldThis was an absolutely fascinating narrative of the journey of the first Jesuit missionaries to China in the late 16th Century--full of novelistic; even though historical; detail.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating read about an important missionary to ChinaBy Stuart DunnFr. Matteo Ricci was an Italian Jesuit priest who lived from 1552 to 1610. He was also a founding member of the Jesuit China missions. He arrived in China in 1582; and it was here that he received his name "Wise Man." Vincent Cronin; was a British writer and popular historian; who is known for his writings on famous historical figures such as Napoleon; Marie Antoinette; and Catherine the Great. The fact that chose to write a book on Fr. Ricci is a testament to how important this missionary was in history. That book is entitled The Man from the West; and I would like to tell you a little bit about it.The book begins with Fr. Ricci experiencing a call to missionary work in China. We then see their beginning time in China; getting acclimated with the land and culture; and meeting some of the government officials. We then see him preparing to meet the emperor; Wan-Li; because he believed that would help him gain ground in the missionary work. We then see the many struggles Fr. Ricci experienced in his vocation; including being held prisoner and clashing with the Buddhists. The book; naturally; ends with his death and also the death of the mission work he started as well; not because of him but because of a change in political climate mixed with a change of the evangelization method the newer missionaries used.Fr. Ricci was a great priest and a great man. His method of evangelization was much more tolerant and open-minded; compared to others who followed after him. He didn't go into China with a mission of convert or perish. He came in with a sense of love and understanding. He tried to understand their culture and what made them who they were. He took Asian works and had them converted to Latin; and took Western works and had them converted to Chinese. This showed respect to the people; their past; and their culture. It was through this these methods and simply exuding Christ's love that he was able to succeed in a hostile situation. I really found this book to be a fascinating read and appreciated the style with which Vincent Cronin wrote as it made the history come alive and shed light on a great man in Catholic history who many might not know about. It is truly a fascinating read; and one I think you should pick up when you have a chance.This book was provided to me for free by Ignatius Press in exchange for an honest review.
