DailyLit: Memoir Books

Waiting for the Call

by Jacqueline Taylor

Description

One woman's search for the meaning of faith when the foundations of her beliefs are tested to the limit

Waiting for the Call takes readers from the foothills of the Appalachians—where Jacqueline Taylor was brought up in a strict evangelical household—to contemporary Chicago, where she and her lesbian partner are raising a family. In a voice by turns comic and loving, Taylor recounts the amazing journey that took her in profoundly different directions from those she or her parents could have ever envisioned.

Taylor's father was a Southern Baptist preacher, and she struggled to deal with his strictures as well as her mother's manic-depressive episodes. After leaving for college, Taylor finds herself questioning her faith and identity, questions that continue to mount when—after two divorces, a doctoral degree, and her first kiss with a woman—she discovers her own lesbianism and begins a most untraditional family that grows to include two adopted children from Peru.

Even as she celebrates and cherishes this new family, Taylor insists on the possibility of maintaining a loving connection to her religious roots. While she and her partner search for the best way to explain adoption to their children and answer the inevitable question, "Which one is your mom?" they also seek out a church that will unite their love of family and their faith. Told in the great storytelling tradition of the American South, full of deep feeling and wry humor, Waiting for the Call engagingly demonstrates how one woman bridged the gulf between faith and sexual identity without abandoning her principles.

Praise for Waiting for the Call

"Well-written, absorbing, and a great pleasure to read...will appeal to Christians struggling to square their traditional beliefs with acceptance of homosexuality as well as to all those interested in adoption, lesbian marriage, and the changing shape of America's families."
—Elizabeth C. Fine, Virginia Tech University

"This deeply moving story of a lesbian Christian's journey to self-acceptance is a rare celebration of life. I found myself alternately weeping and then laughing out loud at Jacqueline Taylor's memoir of her staunch Southern Baptist father and clever but sometimes manic mother, of her missteps on the road to a long-lasting, committed relationship, and of the wit and wisdom of her adoptive daughters."
—Reverend Mel White, author of Religion Gone Bad: The Hidden Dangers of the Christian Rightand cofounder of Soulforce

"Especially compelling is the way in which the author never completely abandons religion, either for herself or for her children, and shows that fundamentalists and evangelicals cannot be painted with one brush. With a fascinating and gripping narrative, Waiting for the Call engages with current debates not only about homosexuality but about definitions of family, of mother and father, of child rearing, of education, of community."
—Linda Kintz, author of Between Jesus and the Market:The Emotions That Matter in Right-Wing America

"We have deeply needed a book that shows an intelligent LGBT person as a Christian—this is that book."
—Louise A. Blum, author of You’re Not from Around Here, Are You? A Lesbian in Small-Town America

Extended Copyright Information

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Previously published by the University of Michigan Press.

Sample Installment

Truth at Last

by John Larry Ray and Lyndon Barsten

Description

For forty years, the plea bargain of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. has been the subject of intense inquiry and debate among historians and researchers. Was Ray—a small-town petty thief—really the criminal mastermind the Shelby County, Tennessee, prosecutors said he was? Or was he a pawn in a broader conspiracy that involved an entity much more powerful: the U.S. government?

In reality, evidence reveals James Earl Ray was inducted into the CIA as a young man in the U.S. Army and subjected to mind control experimentation—in the same era when psychological drugs are known to have been administered by the armed services to unknowing recruits in an attempt to control human behavior. Later, in the two years prior to the King assassination, Ray was under the influence of several government-connected hypnotists seemingly working to make him an obedient patsy.

Ray's case never went to trial, and many, including the King family, concluded that there had been a conspiracy, yet a government investigation in 2000 revealed that there was no evidence to suggest it.

In Truth At Last, Ray's eldest brother John Larry Ray and Martin Luther King Jr. historian Lyndon Barsten, offer incontrovertible evidence that James Earl Ray could not have assassinated Dr. King. John Larry Ray reveals the true secret history of his infamous brother, who for a lifetime claimed, "The Army put me on the road to ruin." Barsten documents John Larry Ray's assertions by drawing on scores of personal interviews and more than 4,000 Freedom of Information Act requests—including Ray's Army unit records. Together, they offer a startling new look at Ray's life, his encounters with the Feds and the Mob, and the crime that shook the world.

Extended Copyright Information

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford CT 06437.

Published in April 2008 by Globe Pequot Press and DailyLit.

Sample Installment

The Soul of the Rhino

by Hemanta R. Mishra

Description

In early 2006, National Public Radio reported that "A promising conservation effort to save one of Nepal's signature endangered species is now in serious trouble, due primarily to poachers taking advantage of fighting between government forces and Maoist insurgents." This was devastating news indeed to author and scientist Hemanta Mishra, who has spent the better part of his adult life struggling to save the Indian Rhino from extinction in his native Nepal.

The Soul of the Rhino is the spirited yet humble account of Mishra's unique personal journey. Fresh out of university in the 1970s, Mishra embarks on his conservation work with the help of an ornery but steadfast elephant driver, the Nepalese royal family, and handfuls of like-minded scientists whose aim is to protect the animal in the foothills of the Himalayas. Yet, in spite of decades spent creating nature reserves and moving rhinos to protected areas, arm-wrestling politicians, and raising awareness for the cause, Mishra is still fearful about the future of the Indian Rhino. To this day, Nepal is overrun by armed insurgents, political violence, and poachers who could kill off this magnificent creature for good.

Filled with candor and bittersweet humor, Mishra re-creates his journey on behalf of the rhino, an ugly yet enchanting, terrifying yet delicate creature. The first book of its kind to delve into the multi-layered political labyrinths of South Asian wildlife conservation, and one man’s endurance in the face of it all, The Soul of the Rhino is sure to win over your heart and soul.

Praise for The Soul of the Rhino

"The Soul of the Rhino is unusual, fascinating and important. It provides not only a rare insight into the personality and behavior of the highly endangered and little known Asian rhino, but an equally absorbing picture of the people who share its habitat...[It] is also a commentary on the way in which wildlife management can be helped or tragically hindered by revolution, politics and the commitment, or lack of it, of those in power. Most important, it will surely inspire other young people in Asia to follow in [Mishra's] footsteps. I hope you will buy and read this book."
—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace

"The Soul of the Rhino is the first book of its kind that proves that nature conservation in Asia does not only depend upon good Western science. But like politics in America, it is an art—an art of the possible—an art that puts human needs and culture in the forefront of environmental conservation."
—Rimpoche Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"For anyone in wildlife, the Himalayan region, Hindu and Buddhist culture, this book is a delight...Many well-meaning, dedicated conservation supporters have written enthusiastically about environmental, species, and cultural conservation—but Mishra has not only 'talked the talk,' he has really 'walked the walk,' as the reader will learn."
—Kenneth Nebenzahl, director of the American Himalayan Foundation, and member of the World Wildlife Fund—U.S. Council

"From the unique perspective of a Nepali dealing with conservation battles in his own country, [Mishra] describes his contacts with everyone from poacher and foreigner to bureaucrat, royalty and rhino. I enjoyed The Soul of the Rhino immensely for its potent conservation message as well as its insights into a culture and the soul of the author."
—George B. Schaller, Wildlife Conservation Society

Extended Copyright Information

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Lyons Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Previously published by The Lyons Press, an imprint of The Globe Pequot Press.

Cover design by Georgiana Goodwin.
Cover image Bridgeman Art Library.

Sample Installment

All in My Head

by Paula Kamen

Description

At the age of twenty-four, Paula Kamen's life changed in an instant. While she was putting in her contacts, the left lens disturbed a constellation of nerves behind her eye. The pain was more piercing than that of any other headache she had ever experienced. More than a decade later, she still has a headache—the exact same headache. From surgery to a battery of Botox injections to a dousing of Lithuanian holy water, from a mountain of pharmaceutical products to aromatherapy and even a vibrating hat, All in My Head chronicles the sometimes frightening, usually absurd, and always ineffective remedies Kamen—like so many others—tried in order to relieve the pain. Beleaguered and frustrated by doctors who, frustrated themselves, periodically declared her pain psychosomatic, she came to understand the plight of the millions who suffer chronic pain in its many forms. Full of self-deprecating humor and razorsharp reporting, All in My Head is the remarkable story of patience, acceptance, and perseverance in the face of terrifying pain.

Praise for All in My Head

"Kamen describes her descent into headache hell with verve and wit...Her prose is a pleasure...For readers who have headaches and for chronic pain sufferers, this book is a must-read."
—Boston Globe

"With the tireless consumer activism of Ralph Nader and the sardonic wit of Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey, Kamen’s tale is essential reading for anyone suffering from chronic pain."
—Shape

"Gripping...Kamen takes us inside the world of chronic pain and shows us how the constant disbelief and distrust she encountered were almost as bad as the pain itself...a necessary book."
—Chicago Tribune

"[This book] connects the dots on this issue of women and chronic pain in a way nobody else has done."
—Salon.com

"...Undeniably funny. Kamen’s irreverent sense of humor about her pain and herself makes the book a delight to read as she unabashedly pokes fun at the corporate pharmaceutical industry (even while she hopes for a test-tube cure), doctors and other caregivers. Kamen makes the reader understand what it is like to be happy even while one is in pain."
—Publisher’s Weekly

"Sharp, entertaining, informative, and blessedly free of poor-me-see-how-I-suffered-ism."
—Kirkus

"An expert look at a vexing issue, the book will enlighten Kamen’s fellow-sufferers that they are not alone."
—The Telegraph

"Her reporting and gender analysis are top-notch…Her story is both gripping and terrifying. But it’s her deadpan humor and fine, fine writing that make All in My Head so truly fantastic."
—Bitch

"If you have any kind of chronic pain, especially chronic head pain, you will find All in My Head a balm for your tormented soul. If you love someone with chronic pain and you don’t really get what they’re going through, you must read this."
—ChickLit.com

"Written with passion and a remarkable sense of humour in the face of the relentless headache, [this book] will reassure fellow sufferers that they are not alone."
—New Scientist

"Paula Kamen combines a sharp journalistic intelligence with a very welcome flair for the absurd."
—Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

"Paula Kamen’s comic gifts are the best prescription for protecting us against the insane realities of our pharmaceutically obsessed health-care system."
—Neal Pollack, author The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature

"Not since Norman Cousins’s Anatomy of an Illness has there been a medical memoir of such depth and compelling fascination. The detail, the beautiful writing, the triumph of this young author’s will over paralyzing pain will make you cry for her and adore her on the selfsame page."
—Barbara Seaman, author and co-founder of The National Women’s Health Network

"Kamen writes with the dedication of a muckraking journalist, the comic flair of Woody Allen, and the obsessive attention to detail of Spalding Gray. Tragically for the author, yet blessedly for readers, All in My Head is clearly a book that Paula Kamen was born to write."
—Adam Langer, author of Crossing California

"Despite the sobering topic, Kamen manages to magically bring in a dose of levity, letting her keen wit and hilarious eye for bizarre detail shine through right from the start. Perhaps laughter is the best medicine after all."
—Spike Gillespie, author of Surrender (But Don’t Give Yourself Away)

"All in My Head is a deeply human, witty, and courageous book and should be required reading for all."
—Jane Pincus and Judy Norsigian, co-authors, Our Bodies, Ourselves

Extended Copyright Infomation

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover design by Cooley Design Lab.
Cover illustration copyright csaimages.com.

Sample Installment

Finding Iris Chang

by Paula Kamen

Description

Iris Chang's mysterious suicide in 2004, at age thirty-six, didn't seem to make any sense. She had more to live for than anyone, including fame, fortune, beauty, a husband, and child. Some even wondered if the controversial author of the Rape of Nanking had been murdered. Long-time friend Paula Kamen was among those left wondering what had gone so wrong. Seeking to reconcile the suicide with the image of Chang's "perfect" life, Kamen searched her own memory and scoured Chang's letters, diaries, and archival material to fill in the gaps of Chang's personal transformation—from awkward teen to homecoming princess in college, from "ex-shy person" to world-class speaker and international human rights pioneer—and later decline into mental illness and paranoia. A literary investigation of an important writer's journey, Finding Iris Chang is a tribute to a lost heroine, a portrait of the real and vulnerable woman who inspired so many around the world.

Praise for Finding Iris Chang

"A rewardingly complex portrait of a driven and troubled woman."
&mdashKirkus Reviews

"Part biography, part detective story, part memoir of a thorny but enduring friendship, this book takes us to the heart of Iris Chang's tragic life. Paula Kamen writes with astute psychological insight, the intuition of a close friend—and with the determination of an investigative reported resolved to get to the bottom of a death as baffling as it is heartbreaking."
—Molly Worthen, author of The Man on Whom Nothing Was Lost

"Iris Chang inspired many, including me. Now Iris's life has inspired her friend Paula Kamen to write a tender remembrance of a great woman."
—James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys

"Journalist Paula Kamen leaves no clue unturned in this riveting narrative that is part detective story, part psychological drama, part homage to a friend, as she peels back the complexities of Iris Chang's life and death—revealing the obsessions, frailties, significance, and, ultimately, the humanity of this legendary Chinese American woman warrior."
—Helen Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People

Extended Copyright Information

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover design by Georgia Liebman.
Cover photograph by Tamara Staples; college graduation photograph courtesy of the University of Illinois Archives; Iris Chang Papers.

Sample Installment

Nordie's at Noon

by Balwanz Carlos Johnson Peters

Description

Like any group of young women, Patti, Kim, Jennifer, and Jana talked about their latest career moves, the men in their lives, and their dreams for family each month when they met for lunch at the café at their local Nordstrom department store. But unlike other women their age, their conversations also turned to more serious issues, issues their "non-breast cancer" friends couldn’t have imagined or understood. Their breast cancer diagnoses came at very different phases of their young lives. Patti was 24, single, and forging her way in the corporate world. Jana was planning her wedding at age 27, and bravely walked down the aisle wearing a wig and breast prosthesis. Jennifer, also 27, was five months pregnant when she was diagnosed, and endured surgery and chemotherapy during the pregnancy. Kim found her lump at age 30 while planning her son’s second birthday party, and faced the issues of raising a toddler while she underwent treatment. Nordie's at Noon shares the personal stories of each of these extraordinary women. A source of humor, strength, inspiration, and education, the book will speak to anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer or faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge. A celebration of friendship and of living life to the fullest, Nordie's at Noon is also a book that will encourage women everywhere to be proactive with their health-and realize that no one is "too young" for breast cancer.

The authors will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to various nonprofit breast cancer organizations.

Praise for Nordie's at Noon

Winner of the 2007 Natalie Davis Spingarn Writer’s Award
—National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

"Nordie’s at Noon is an honest and inspiring testament to [these authors’] experiences which, I am completely confident . . . will inspire thousands of women as it inspired me."
—Elizabeth Edwards

"[A] funny, poignant, and exceedingly valuable resource."
—Library Journal

". . . This is a rare book that has the saddest of endings and yet still manages to be—yes—life affirming.
"—People (4 stars)

"A warm and intimate detailing of how cancer upends young lives."
—Ms. Magazine

"Whether you’re a woman who has herself been affected by breast cancer or a man who is as healthy as a horse, Nordie’s at Noon is a lesson in the importance of treasuring friends and family, finding your inner strength, and embracing each day as a gift, if only because there may not necessarily be a tomorrow."
—Philadelphia Inquirer

"An emotional, touching and even funny memoir about how these women bonded over facing breast cancer together."
—LifetimeTV.com

"Nordie’s at Noon provides something for everyone dealing with breast cancer —and further explores what so many of us already know—that true friendship can see us through just about anything!"
—TheBreastCareSite.com

"Nordie’s at Noon is a wonderful read with a weighty message: all women need to be actively concerned about their breast health, not just in October, but all year long."
—Health News Digest

Extended Copyright Information

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

The purpose of this book is to encourage and educate. Although every effort has been made to ensure the book’s accuracy, its contents should not be construed as medical advice. Each person’s health needs are unique. To obtain recommendations to your particular situation, please consult a qualified health care professional.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Da Capo Press was aware of a trademark claim, those designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Sample Installment

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

by Toby Young

Description

In 1995 high-flying British journalist Toby Young left London for New York to become a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Other Brits had taken Manhattan—Alistair Cooke, Tina Brown, Anna Wintour—so why couldn't he? But things didn't quite go according to plan. Within the space of two years he was fired from Vanity Fair, banned from the most fashionable bar in the city, and couldn't get a date for love or money. Even the local AA group wanted nothing to do with him. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is Toby Young's hilarious and best-selling account of the five years he spent looking for love in all the wrong places and steadily working his way down the New York food chain, from glossy magazine editor to crash-test dummy for interactive sex toys. A seditious attack on the culture of celebrity from inside the belly of the beast, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is also a "nastily funny read" (USA Today).

Praise for How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

"F Troop meets the A list . . . Young . . . recounts his experience with wit, a flair for comedy, self deprecation and a goodish bit of sociological insight on the side."
—Wall Street Journal

"Hilarious lifestyles of the rich and shameless . . . Young is a self deprecating Tom Wolfe."
—People

"[Young's] sharp humor, fluid style and inside dish make his tale a gossipy confection . . ."
—San Francisco Chronicle

"A very funny book."
—Salon.com

"A Hot Book for Summer . . . a gimlet-eyed insider's account of the status-obsessed, celebrity-beholden glossy magazine mafia."
—GQ

"A nastily funny read. . . . [Young's] failure to blend in with Manhattan's unique panache and success-driven mentality brings a heaping dose of humor to this memoir."
—USA Today

"For those not 'feeling it' at their current jobs, Young's book is better than Paxil."
—Women's Wear Daily

"A scandalous memoir by a former Vanity Fair editor about the magazine industry and the warped New York scene."
—Us Weekly

"A cringingly funny memoir."
—U.S. News and World Report

"Full of amusing dish on the media world."
—Village Voice

"An entertaining look into the peculiar world of one of New York's glossiest magazines."
—Boston Globe

"Delicious."
—Elle.com

"A scathing portrait of the egomaniacal world of New York media and an insightful look at modern American celebrity culture."
—Booklist

"Energetic and engaging . . . [provides] enjoyable bitchy specifics of Conde Nast culture."
—Kirkus

"Carries a startling ring of truth. . . . a slashing insider's view of Vanity Fair."
—Publishers Weekly

Extended Copyright Information

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover design by Cooley Design Lab.

Sample Installment

Tabloid Love

by Bridget Harrison

Description

Dubbed one of the summer's hottest beach reads by People, Glamour, Cosmo, and the Weekend "Today" show, Tabloid Love introduces Bridget Harrison, an almost thirty-year-old Brit and rookie reporter for the New York Post. While her London friends begin to marry, Bridget chases her dream of becoming a hard-news journalist. But just as she perfects the art of interviewing strangers about ghoulish crimes, she discovers that finding a mate seems impossible in the ultimate singles city. Then Bridget lands her very own Post dating column, and half a million New Yorkers read about her weekly romantic disasters. Whether covering celebrity parties in the Hamptons or struggling to hide her inter-office crush, Bridget retains her humor and humility.

Praise for Tabloid Love

"A delicious treat for a sunny afternoon. Vivid, pacey, and very funny."
—Times (London)

"Harrison is . . . deeply likeable . . . It's hard not to hope that she gets everything she wants: literary stardom, the gorgeous apartment, the equally gorgeous boyfriend—and more."
—People

"[Harrison] is gutsier and funnier than Bridget [Jones] but just as socially and fashionably inept. And she resolves to get to the bottom of why it's so damn difficult to meet a good man in New York, with some truly laugh-out-loud twists."
—Cosmo UK

"A frank, funny memoir of dating in New York."
—Glamour

Extended Copyright Information

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover design by Alex Camlin.

Sample Installment

Millions of Women Are Waiting to Meet You

by Sean Thomas

Description

Sean Thomas was single, thirty-seven, and just "a tiny bit desperate" to meet the woman of his dreams, when he was asked by a men’s magazine to try Internet dating. Millions of Women Are Waiting to Meet You tells the painfully funny story of what happened next. A gloriously indiscreet diary of the dates, good and bad, it tells of how Thomas was obliged to look at his past checkered love life and lays bare his answers to questions about his own sexual history, and male sexuality in general: Why are so many men fascinated by lesbians? What was so great about pantyhose? And what was it like to have sex with someone really famous? This book tells the story of many men, and maybe some women, too. It will appeal to any woman who wants to know what men really think about sex and romance, and to any man who has ever taken honest stock of his past and present relationships with the fairer sex.

Praise for Millions of Women are Waiting to Meet You

"I can't remember reading a book that's made me laugh out loud as much as this one. Thomas must be extraordinarily brave to reveal so much about his personal life, and this book truly ups the stakes for the male confessional genre."
—Independent

"Compulsive . . . eye-poppingly candid . . . and also very funny . . . If you've ever wondered why the date you thought you got on with wonderfully never called, you need to read this book."
—India Knight, Times (London)

"A disarmingly frank stagger 'across the disco floor of life'"
—Evening Standard

"Bridget Jones meets Men Behaving Badly."
—Spectator

Extended Copyright Information

Permission for lyric extract from "Oliver" TK.

Previously published by Bloomsbury Publishing and Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover design by Georgia Liebman and Alex Camlin.
Cover photograph copyright by Buero Monaco/GettyImates.

Sample Installment

The Devil Came on Horseback

by Brian Steidle and Gretchen Steidle Wallace

Description

Former United States Marine Brian Steidle served for six months in Darfur as an unarmed military observer for the African Union. There he witnessed first-hand the ongoing genocide, and documented every day of his experience using email, audio journals, notebook after notebook and nearly 1,000 photographs. Gretchen Steidle Wallace, his sister, who wrote this book with Brian, corresponded with him throughout his time in Darfur. Fired upon, taken hostage, a witness to villages destroyed and people killed, frustrated by his mission's limitations and the international community's reluctance to intervene, Steidle resigned and has since become an advocate for the world to step in and stop this genocide. The Devil Came on Horseback depicts the tragic impact of an Arab government bent on destroying its black African citizens, the maddening complexity of international inaction in response to blatant genocide, and the awkward, yet heroic transformation of a former Marine turned humanitarian. It is a gripping and moving memoir that bears witness to atrocities we have too long averted our eyes from, and reveals that the actions of just one committed person have the power to change the world.

Praise for The Devil Came on Horseback

"For six months this American member of an AU observer team served the truth, channeling his horror and anger into scrupulous documentation of the hell of Darfur in photographs, notes and e-mails. (His efforts were also chronicled in a recent documentary of the same title.) His work in Darfur lends this absolutely necessary book its compelling immediacy and irrefutable authenticity, as a testament now and for years to come."
—Los Angeles Times

"This impassioned memoir is a cry of conscience and an informative, if politically and historically limited, analysis by a former U.S. Marine . . . Steidle's personal and fluent account effectively channels an idealistic, adventuresome young man's growing frustration and horror in the face of ongoing crimes against humanity and international complacency."
—Publishers Weekly

"Nothing could be more necessary or timely . . . than Brian Steidle's The Devil Came on Horseback, a powerful first-hand account of the Darfur genocide . . . individuals like Steidle are achieving more for Darfur's victims than all the exertions of the U.N. Human Rights Council combined."
—New York Post

"The story is as compelling as it is devastating. What comes forth in the book are the feelings of despair and helplessness on the part of eyewitnesses in the face of human cruelty . . . Mr. Steidle juxtaposes the government propaganda against the images of genocide, and he allows the reader to be the judge."
—National Catholic Reporter

About the Authors

Brian Steidle, a former Captain in the Marine Corps, worked for the African Union where he served in Darfur. He has made several return trips to Africa and now gives lectures across the country, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and UCLA, about Darfur. Gretchen Steidle Wallace, Brian's sister and the founder of Global Grassroots, has a BA in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College. They live in New Hampshire.

Extended Copyright Information

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address PublicAffairs, 250 West 57th Street, Suite 1321, New York, NY 10107.

Previously published by PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover photo: Brian Steidle.

Sample Installment