Trials Books

By employing a non-traditional, storytelling technique making use of court records and transcriptions of taped interviews, Thomas Burton has told a documentary-like tale of people whose lives are as confusing and bizarre as any that Flannery O'Conner's fiction could have created. Glenn Summerford, a serpent-handling, Holiness preacher was accused of attempted murder, convicted, and sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison. His wife Darlene alleged that he forced her at gunpoint, while he was in a drunken rage, to put her hand into a box of poisonous snakes that Glenn kept at home for use in his church services. She was, according to medical attendants, bitten and hospitalized, but "the truth" of the matter is clouded from the outset. Some of those interviewed claim the whole court procedure was rigged in an attempt to rid Jackson County, Alabama, of Summerford and the practices of his congregation -- which church members sincerely believe is a way for them to show their obedience to the Word of God. Glenn's two wives, as well as his children by both women, all have differing accounts of what could have happened -- and for the motives of those involved.
No matter what the reality of the situation, Burton has tried to unravel, as Robert Browning did with his verse monologues in The Ring and the Book, the immensely complicated, and ultimately unfathomable mess that life can be for all of us, and the writer has done so in a highly entertaining and readable fashion.--Michael Davenport

After the lousy plot writing of the original Savage She-Hulk, and the goofy, heavy-handed comedic treatment of Sensational She-Hulk, this series finally gives the Jennifer Walters' character some depth. We begin to understand the things the have driven her to despise her human self and revere her Jade Giantess form to excess. There are still funny moments involved, but they are done on a more realistic level (well, as realistic as a Marvel comic can get, anyway). A must read for every Shulkie fan, and a way for newbies to get a good look at the character.

This was a fascinating book! I read it in one day because I could not put it down! This book, based on a true story, would make a great movie because you could not make up a story this good. This is a great glimpse into the power of big corporations, unethical lawyers at their disposal and perhaps even then judge! There are probably many more stories like this because families don't have the means to fight a 9 year legal battle against a major oil corporation. Thank goodness for this book because this needs to be made public! If you only read one book this year, you should read this one.

Evans' work is a valuable scholarly contribution to the study of race, class and gender in the South. Certainly the story of Ruby McCollum and her subsequent trial have left a lasting impression on the history of the Segregationist South. I'm reminded of the words of Zora Neale Hurston in Dust Tracks on a Road, when she wrote that, like the rocks on her native soil, she had memories within that came out of the material that went to make her. "Time and place have had their say in who I am."

As Evans underscores, time and place do indeed have their say in making us who we are, subsuming issues of race, class and gender. Perhaps more importantly, she makes a strong case for the sound of silence being included in the list of ingredients.

When I picked this book up in my school library I was sceptical, I was expecting it to be an over passionate look at some minor blip on the radar of history. I was wrong. 'The Silent and the Damned' brought to light a monstrous double crime and put it in context, without diminishing importance of the case. It details the tragic murder of Mary Phagan, a young factory worker brutally slain in the early 1900s and of Leo Frank, the man unjustly accused of killing her, tried in an atmosphere of anti-Semitism and mob rule, and his subsequent lynching. The book presents the facts of the case with fairness and attention to detail and looks at the case from several angles. This is one of the few books that has made me cry.

This book is an eye opener!! I cannot believe the order of the last few days of Jesus were so neatly written in this book using the four gospels. I ordered 7 books and have given away six. The reciepeints of this book have been left amazed....astonished....surprised...and have made commitment to serve the Lord. I just can't describe the impact this book has had on many. The writer takes time to intermingle the gospel together which brings a brighter & bigger picture to the mind.

M. Santiago Philadelphia, PA

The behavior of the Japanese was so appalling during the war that there was immense pressure for them to be punished for what had happened. The desire for retribution created questionable decisions in a number of cases. General Tomoyuki Yamahsita had conquered Malaya and was one of Japans more successful military leaders. Late in the war he was responsible for the defense of the Philippines. The reason he was put on trial and executed related to the treatment of Phillipino civilians prior to the siege of Manilla. Detachment of Marines under his command raped and killed large numbers of innocent civilians before fighting a bloody Defence of the city. The incident was a horrendous one but the reality was complex. Yamahsita had decided that the best way to resist the American forces which had superiority in tanks and aircraft was to retreat to the hills in North Luzon and to fight a guerilla war. He ordered his units to carry out those orders but the marine units in Manilla rebelled and declared that they wanted to fight for the capital. In there view a retreat would lead to a loss of honor.

At his trial these facts were not in dispute. Yamahsita however was convicted and sentenced to death. The rational was that as the commander of the Philippines he had a responsibility for all of the units nominally under his command. This extended to rebellious units who were defying his command. His execution has been viewed by Japan as a miscarriage of justice and an example of judicial murder.

Ian Ward has written a book about the trial of General Takuma Nishimura the most highly ranked Japanese officer tried by Australia. It suggests that again justice may have miscarried.

The background to the incident is that of the Parit Sulong Massacre. On January 22 1942 units of the Australian 8th Division retreated from Parit Sulong leaving in a hospital some 150 badly injured men. What happened was that Japanese soldiers dragged these 150 men from their hospital. They were then shot some who survived the bullets were bound with fencing had petrol poured on them and set them alight. One man Lt Ben Hackney escaped as he had not been tied to the others but was later recapturec. During his captivity Hackney decided that the perpetuators of this act should be brought to justice. Other prisoners suggested that he write down what had happened so that he would be able to give evidence after the war. His memory of the incident was that a high ranking Japanese General had spoken to the men who carried out the massacre directly prior to the incident and he assumed that he was responsible for giving the order. That man was identified as General Nishumura.

The trial came down to a simple question. Had General Nishumura ordered the death of the captives or had it been an un-authorized act carried out by some of his subordinates. The prosecuting authority did not call witnesses but relied on depositions. The Defence simply called Nishumura who gave evidence that he had not made any orders for the prisoners deaths. The case was finished within a day and was something of a record for a capital case. As the subordinate officers were not called they could not be cross examined.

In a case such as this there would normally would have been considerable cross examination. It was the practice in these sorts of trials to give a considerable sentencing discount to such witnesses for instance in this case they would avoided the death penalty. Witnesses have a lot of reasons to lie and to implicate others.

The author of the book however raises further material of relevance. The investigation of this case was Captain Godwin. Godwin had been a prisoner of war and during his confinement had been tortured and starved. He lost 75% of his body weight when a prisoner. It seemed that he developed considerable hatred for his captors as a result.

He prepared the case against Nishumura. During his investigation he came across Lt Seizaburo Fujita. Fujita freely admitted to being the officer who ordered the deaths of the Australian prisoners. He was not arrested and it would seem clear that the interrogation of Fujita was poor and carried out in such a way to ensure finding material that implicated Nishumura rather than looked at the case objectively. The statement taken from him appeared short and coached. Other material he gathered appeared to have been summarized and edited to remove important discrepancies between witness statements. Further stole a document from the Japanese archive to stop it going into evidence. It was a Japanese report by the officer who carried out the massacre that to some extent assisted the Defence case.

The Defence in Australian war crimes trials was provided by Japanese Civil Lawyers who had limited experience in criminal trials no knowledge of Australian Law and whose living arrangements made it difficult for them to consult with other lawyers. (They were detained as prisoners)

After Nishumura was was found guilty he was sentenced to death. His lawyers then returned to Japan and interviewed the witnesses who had given the depositions which had resulted in conviction. All of them said that Godwin in taking the depositions had told them what he wanted them to say and made threats that they would be arrested if they did not say the right thing. Affidavits from these witnesses were not successful in getting a retrial. Clearly if the lawyers representing Nishumura had been able to prepare the trial properly by obtaining this evidence prior to the trial the outcome would have been different.

Ironically one of the Tribunal members who heard Nishumura's case was hospitalized immediately after the hearing. It would seem that he was probably insane during the proceedings.

All in all if the author is correct this trial is one that brings no credit on Australia.

I stumbled across this one and only collection of Nyezwa's work while doing grad work in Cape Town and was so moved that I devoted 20 pages of my master's thesis to him. Influenced by the poet Cesar Vallejo, Nyezwa combines lyrical beauty with a modernist free verse that reaches for the human underneath the politics and sufferings of contemporary South Africa. He's poems soar.

Someone used this book to teach our adult Sunday School class. It was a wonderful! We sang some of the songs and enjoyed learning about the backgrounds which inspired the songs. This book would also be great for children's classes.

This is the first in a series of books set in a totally original world. In this first book Cassie, a young girl born and raised in the solid, mundane, rural lands of Anchor discovers hard truths about the rulers of her society, causing her to be propelled onward to a new life in Flux. The Soul Rider series is one of Chalker's best. It has a very imaginatively conceived world that works well to showcase some of Chalker's favorite themes of transformation and trials and tribulations of his characters. Spirits of Flux and Anchor has an emotionally involving story and the complex characters and original world will keep you turning pages till you reach the end and want to read the next one in the series..It's terrific..and it still reads well in 2001.