Synopses & Reviews
"The war in Iraq has been a victory of moral fervor over moral clarity. The first without the second is a curse on itself. James Carroll brings to bear-I hope not too late-the moral clarity we so badly need." -Garry WillsWith the words "this Crusade, this war on terror," George W. Bush defined the purpose of his presidency. And just as promptly, James Carroll-Boston Globe columnist, bestselling author, and respected moral authority-began a week-by-week argument with the administration. In powerful, passionate bulletins, Carroll dissected the President's exploitation of the nation's fears, invocations of a Christian mission, and efforts to overturn America's traditional relations-with other nations and its own citizens.
Combining clear moral consciousness, an acute sense of history, and a real-world grasp of the unforgiving demands of politics, Crusade is a compelling call for the rescue of America's noblest traditions. James Carroll is the bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning memoir An American Requiem. His other books include Constantine's Sword, which is a history of Christian anti-Semitism, and ten previous novels. Carroll lectures widely on war and peace, and on Jewish-Christian-Muslim reconciliation. He lives in Boston. With the words "this Crusade, this war on terror," President George W. Bush defined the purpose of his presidency. And, just as promptly, James CarrollBoston Globe columnist, son of a general, former antiwar chaplain and activist, and recognized voice of ethical authoritybegan a week-by-week argument with the administration over its actions. In powerful, passionate bulletins, Carroll dissected the president's exploitation of the nation's fears, invocations of a Christian mission, and efforts to overturn America's traditional relationswith other nations and with its own citizens.
Crusade, the first collection of Carroll's searing columns, offers a comprehensive and tough-minded critique of the war on terror. From Carroll's first rejection of "war" as the proper response to Osama bin Laden, to his prescient verdict of failure in Iraq, to his never-before-published analysis of the faith-based roots of current U.S. policies, this volume displays his rare insight and scope. Combining clear moral consciousness, an acute sense of history, and a real-world grasp of the unforgiving demands of politics, Crusade is a compelling call for the rescue of America's noblest traditions.
A cry from the heart, a record of protest, and a permanently relevant analysis, Carroll's work shrewdly confronts the Bush era and measures it against what America was meant to be. "Thought-provoking . . . challenges us to examine our own morals and carefully parse the language of war."The Christian Science Monitor
"A journalistic page of glory. With unerring political as well as moral instinct, Carroll has shown that it is possible to see and understand the true nature of awful eventsnot only afterward, with hindsight, but even as they unfold, when it counts most."Jonathan Schell, author of The Unconquerable World
"The war in Iraq has been a victory of moral fervor over moral clarity. The first without the second is a curse on itself and others. James Carroll brings to bearI hope not too latethe moral clarity we so badly need."Garry Wills
"Crusade is the most compelling report and analysis that we've had yet of the Middle East conflict, specifically Iraq, and all in a wonderfully readable style . . . Those who are uncomfortable about our commitment in Iraq as well as those who have made up their minds against it will find here both literate and compelling support."John Kenneth Galbraith
"At a time when political writing seems like a food fight between left and right, Carroll writes from a vivid moral center. He questions power and warns of the folly of conflict. His is a rare and courageous voice."Ellen Goodman
"Devastating and deeply humanistic . . . Carroll's critiques of our foreign policy offer a unique combination of historical knowledge and moral perspective. For people concerned about the mixture of religion, politics, and terrorism (ours and theirs) in today's world, Carroll is the ultimate guide."Chalmers Johnson, author of The Sorrows of Empire
"In his remarkable memoir, An American Requiem, Carroll established himself as an eloquent critic of the immorality and madness of the 6Vietnam War. In Crusade, he has wedded this moral clarity to both a keen sense of history and an awareness of the enormous complexity of peacemaking. Here is a passionate and devastating critique of the folly fobbed off as 'realism' by the Bush administration in its ill-conceived 'War on Terror.John Dower, author of Embracing Defeat, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"Did Dubya know what mental associations he conjured up when, post-9/11, he promised to launch a crusade against terror? Maybe not. But Al Qaeda got the pointand so did the rest of the Muslim world. Which is none to the good, writes former Catholic priest and current Boston Globe columnist Carroll. Evoking the Crusades of yore was a mistake, he argues at the outset. 'My thoughts went to the elusive Osama bin Laden, how pleased he must have been, Bush already reading from his script,' Carroll writes, provocatively. And how so? For Bush, Carroll hazards, 'crusade' was a casual, offhand reference, but for Muslims it would have called to mind hundreds of years of warfare with a millennial Christianity at whose head stood a savior whose cross had been beaten into a sword. Maybe not so offhand, then, for, Carroll writes, 'George W. Bush, having cheerfully accepted responsibility for the executions of 152 death row inmates in Texas, had already shown himself to be entirely at home with divinely sanctioned violence.' At once theologian, philosopher, gadfly, and policy wonk, Carroll proceeds, in this collection of Globe commentaries, to poke and probe at the assumptions of the administration, which all seem to have a strange inevitability; after all, he notes, September 11, 1991, was the date on which Dubya's father announced that a new world order had emerged from the ashes of the Soviet empire. Carroll thoughtfully examines the build-up to the Iraq conflict in the light of Vietnam, a war in which his father prominently served, and he champions in its stead a humane internationalism . . . Smart and closely argued contrarianism, worthy of a Berrigan or Niebuhr. And don't miss the bonus track: a learned, priestly scourging of Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, 'a triumph of sadomasochistic exploitation.'"Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Devastating and deeply humanistic...James Carroll's critiques of our foreign policy offer a unique combination of historical knowledge and moral perspective. For people concerned about the mixture of religion, politics, and terrorism (our and theirs) in today's world, Carroll is the ultimate guide." --Chalmers Johnson, author of
The Sorrows of Empire"The war in Iraq has been a victory of moral fervor over moral clarity. The first without the second is a curse on itself and others. James Carroll brings to bear-I hope not too late-the moral clarity we so badly need." --Garry Wills
"This is the most compelling report and analysis that we've had yet of the Middle East conflict, specifically Iraq, and all in wonderfully readable style...Those who are uncomfortable about our commitment in Iraq as well as those who have made up their minds against it will find here both literate and compelling support." --John Kenneth Galbraith
"In his remarkable memoir, An American Requiem, James Carroll established himself as an eloquent critic of the immorality and madness of the Vietnam War. In Crusade, he has wedded this moral clarity to a keen sense of both history and the enormous complexity of peacemaking. These passionate essays constitute a devastating critique of the folly fobbed off as 'realism' by the Bush administration in its ill-conceived 'War on Terror.'" --John Dower, author of Embracing Defeat, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"At a time when political writing seems like a food fight between left and right, Jim Carroll writes from a vivid moral center. He questions power and warns of the folly of conflict. This collection offers a rare and courageous voice."--Ellen Goodman
Synopsis
"The war in Iraq has been a victory of moral fervor over moral clarity. The first without the second is a curse on itself. James Carroll brings to bear-I hope not too late-the moral clarity we so badly need." -Garry WillsWith the words "this Crusade, this war on terror," George W. Bush defined the purpose of his presidency. And just as promptly, James Carroll-Boston Globe columnist, bestselling author, and respected moral authority-began a week-by-week argument with the administration. In powerful, passionate bulletins, Carroll dissected the President's exploitation of the nation's fears, invocations of a Christian mission, and efforts to overturn America's traditional relations-with other nations and its own citizens.
Combining clear moral consciousness, an acute sense of history, and a real-world grasp of the unforgiving demands of politics, Crusade is a compelling call for the rescue of America's noblest traditions.
Synopsis
A devastating indictment of the Bush administration's war policies from the bestselling author and respected moral authority.
With the words this Crusade, this war on terror, George W. Bush defined the purpose of his presidency. And just as promptly, James Carroll-Boston Globe columnist, son of a general, former antiwar chaplain and activist, and recognized voice of ethical authority-began a week-by-week argument with the administration over its actions. In powerful, passionate bulletins, Carroll dissected the President's exploitation of the nation's fears, invocations of a Christian mission, and efforts to overturn America's traditional relations-with other nations and its own citizens.
Crusade, the collection of Carroll's searing columns, offers a comprehensive and tough-minded critique of the war on terror. From Carroll's first rejection of war as the proper response to Osama bin Laden, to his prescient verdict of failure in Iraq, to his never-before-published analysis of the faith-based roots of current U.S. policies, this volume displays his rare insight and scope. Combining clear moral consciousness, an acute sense of history, and a real-world grasp of the unforgiving demands of politics, Crusade is a compelling call for the rescue of America's noblest traditions.
A cry from the heart, a record of protest, and a permanently relevant analysis, Carroll's work confronts the Bush era and measures it against what America was meant to be.
About the Author
James Carroll is the bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning memoir
An American Requiem;
Constantine's Sword, a history of Christian anti-Semitism; and ten novels. He lectures widely on war and peace, and on Jewish-Christian-Muslim reconciliation. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One: Onward Christian
1. Holy War
Law Not War
The Pentagon Mourning
This Crusade, This War
Gandhi's Birthday
Religion: Problem or Solution?
2. Afghanistan
But What Changed?
The Bombing Reconsidered
Why I Love This Country
This War Is Not Just
The Way the War Ends
3. War At Home
Robert Kennedy and John Ashcroft
Advent in a Time of Terror
The Unjustice Department
Red Christmas
New Year's Resolutions
Part Two: Soldiers March
4. Dead or Alive
U.S. Moves Fuel Bellicosity Elsewhere
The Axis to Fear
Bush the Radical
America as Sparta
Pakistan versus India
5. Jerusalem
Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Peace
The Palestinian and the Israeli
Lost Children of the Conflict
The Disappearing Border
Suicide-Murder
6. Afraid
In the Bunker
America the Fearful
American Mortality
The Coming War in Iraq
Lies, Damned Lies
A Mistake, and a Crime
Catholic Collapse and U.S. Foreign Policy
So Who Do I Think I Am?
7. Drumbeat
Inarticulate and Proud of It
The War Anniversary
Good Doubt, Bad Faith
The Presidents Nuclear Threat
Antiwar Then, Antiwar Now
8. Hostage
Threshold Period
The Purpose of the War
Toeing the Fault Line of Fear
A Missile Cover-up at MIT?
What the Seven Died For
9. Moral Memory
Philip Berrigan
The Christmas Bombing
The Last Year
The Twenty-ninth Day
Part Three: As to War
10: Iraq
At the United Nations
The Age of Innocence
Watch the War with Both Eyes
A War Policy in Collapse
A Mediation on War
At War in Iraq
11. Questions
An April Fools' Day Surprise
The Answer Is No
A Nation Lost
Moral Awareness in Korea
The Absolute Weapon
12. Recognitions
Bad Weather over America
Antisemitism and Israel
Palestinian Pain and Hope
Millennial War
To Love America
13. Lost
Ridding the World of Evil
Unintelligence
Was the War Necessary?
The Habit of Revenge
The War Is Lost
14. War Spreads
From Politics to Resistance
Antiterrorism Creed
Boykins Bigger God
Full-Spectrum Dominance
15. Every Occupation Ends Badly
The Solution Is the Problem
Day of Remembrance
JFKs November
Of Thanks and Mercy
Why Peace Won't Come
Captives: Hussein and Hiroshima
A Year in America
16. The Passions of War
But McGovern Was Right
State of the Union
Dying for a Mistake
The Real Passions of Christ
A Wall Across the World
An Obscene Portrayal of Christ's Passion
One Year Later
Epilogue
Acknowledgments