Description: This new edition of Daniel Berrigan's classic autobiography To Dwell in Peace; with a new afterword by the author; takes us through his childhood in Syracuse; his early years as a Jesuit; teacher; priest; and poet; his bold 1968 Catonsville Nine action; when he poured homemade napalm on draft files in opposition to the U.S. war on Vietnam; and his ongoing civil disobedience; which led to his going underground and subsequent two-year imprisonment. We read of friends like Thomas Merton; Dorothy Day; William Stringfellow; and his brother Philip Berrigan; with whom he participated again in the 1980 Plowshares Eight disarmament action. Daniel Berrigan's breathtaking story and the poetic way he tells it inspire and challenge us to resist war; pursue nuclear disarmament; and undertake a similar journey to peace; hope; and justice. Endorsements: ""A powerful and poetic account of Berrigan's life and work; as well as a prophetic call to go forth in faith striving towards the long promised blessing reserved for peacemakers."" --Martin Sheen; actor and activist ""Daniel Berrigan is a poet and prophet for these times. This autobiography offers a compelling look at his own life; the fertile ground from which Daniel Berrigan's timely word has come. The courage; the clarity; and the persistence of that word bear compelling witness to his vocation as a messenger of the Word of God."" --Jim Wallis; editor of Sojourners magazine ""A masterpiece; a literary work of art and a document of historic value."" --John Dear; Jesuit activist and author; in the foreword to this new edition About the Contributor(s): Daniel Berrigan is an internationally known voice for peace and disarmament. A Jesuit priest; award-winning poet; and the author of over fifty books; he has spoken for peace; justice; and nuclear disarmament for nearly fifty years. He spent several years in prison for his part in the 1968 Catonsville Nine antiwar action and later acted with the Plowshares Eight. Nominated many times for the Nobel Peace Prize; he lives and works in New York City.
#9698617 in Books 2016-12-22Original language:English 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; #File Name: 1541249119124 pages
Review
300 of 315 people found the following review helpful. The Truth Shall Set You Free of LiesBy MaryAnnGrowing up in the North;I had always found it hard to imagine that slavery not only existed in this country;but flourished.Through the years;I have read many an autobiography or history book concerning slavery and thought I knew it all. And yet I was blind.Until I read Solomon Northrup's "12 Years a Slave." Where has this book been? It is a masterpiece of history;of one man;one free man's life. A true picture of 'The Old South'.Mr. Northrup was a free black man with a beautiful wife and two daughters living in Saratoga;NY. He was lured from his home by slave traders who specialized in the awful practice of kidnapping free black citizens and selling them into slavery. Torn from his home and family;Mr.Northrup endured the worst that can happen to a human being;and still live.And yet;he remained fair and honest;never stooping to the level some of his white masters did.I am not going to rewrite the book in this review because I recommend reading it for yourself. Slavery was and is a vile institution.Solomon Northrup is my new inspiration.This book will shock you. But you will be the better for having read it.My highest of fives.209 of 217 people found the following review helpful. Extraordinary book; but there are better versions on KindleBy J. JohnstonAs slave stories go; this one is; in my view; without peer. Northup's s captivating tale -- which has gained attention because of the movie that shares the book's title -- is told in exacting detail with an easy prose. He sets the stage masterfully; describing people and places before proceeding into the narrative. Unlike works of fiction; this book is so compelling because; by all accounts; it is true. There is no polemical axe to grind; as with Uncle Tom (a novel at one point wryly referenced by Northup). Here you see both the brutality of slavery and the moments of kindness by slaves and even some slave owners. Solomon tells the story with clarity and intelligence.The free versions on other sites I found were pretty poorly formatted; so spending a dollar for a polished version on is worthwhile; but this one is not the best of them. Granted; the book is formatted adequately; and any typographical errors in this version seem to be simple reproductions of the original.However; the supporting material is a letdown. I read the version that includes the introduction by novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez. That introduction is borderline insulting; as it makes only a weak attempt to separate accounts with fictional elements like Roots from an authentic account like this one. Worse still; Perkins-Valdez can't resist indulging in repeatedly referencing her own recently released slave novel; even going so far as to quote herself. There are almost no historical elements to this version beyond the main book -- no mention of Northup after the book; no mention of he writer who helped him pen the book; nothing. There is more information on the writer of the introduction than there is the author. One other oddity worth mentioning: the original book's preface -- the one done by the man who helped Northup write the book -- has been curiously excised from this version too. That makes this version something less than complete.For those looking for a better version; you might consider Twelve Years a Slave - Enhanced Edition by Dr. Sue Eakin Based on a Lifetime Project. New Info; Images; Maps; which contains a robust amount of supporting material and; better still; is right now the same cost as this version.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book. Valued for it's historical significance. Should be required reading for every American.By ArthurI bought this after watching the movie. I am a college student that works full time; so I usually don't have much time for reading things that aren't school related. I finally got around to finishing this. This is an extremely difficult book to read. What this man went through was astoundingly awful. It is an important narrative though. If you want to understand southern culture as it is today; if you want to get a deeper understanding of race relations in America; or if you just want to read a good book; I highly recommend it. You get a real picture of what institutional (versus man to man) racism is. You will also understand how far our country has come from it. If one black man can triumph over adversity in that day; all of them certainly can now. A history professor once told me that it's not enough to just say that the south was wrong; you have to understand why they thought like they did. This will definitely shed some dark light on the subject.
