Customer Reviews

Evita: Saint or Sinner?

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The author put no effort into this book. You get the feeling that it's a real rush job. Read the biography by Navarro and Frasher. It's the real deal!

This book is written for those people who want to read trash about Eva Peron. I stopped counting how many times he called her a 'little whore' and all the references to her 'whore's mouth'. It is disgusting.

I had the misfortune of reading this book when i first got into Evita, after I had read Eva Peron, Alicia Dujone Orviz's biography. His propaganda was such that he made Evita to be this terrible woman, and on page after page describes her as a whore.
I concur with the other reviewers-Harbinson did a minimal amount of research,he also made her out, like Mary Main, to be an inhuman monster, and that, the book focuses not enough on Evita herself, but, instead, splits it into two halves, the second being about Madonna and the musical. The musical and Madonna deserve a place in the epilogue, such as in Fraser and Navarro's book, not in the second half, where Evita's prophecy "I will return and I will be millions" is treated with hate and hostility.

Once again, the below reviewers are valid-get the Fraser and Navarro biography. I also recommend the Orviz biography, which I had read before this. Both works are far more balanced than this piece of trash.

Wow, Mr Harbinson doesn't hold back when it comes to criticizing the works and morals of Eva Peron. Like Mary Main, he sensationalizes her story and makes her out to be a rather unsympathetic character with no morals or conscience and whose only ambition is to become larger than life- no matter what the cost. Poor Evita. I wonder if she would have known that after her death certaint people from all around would taint her image and her legacy by accusing her of prostitution, torture and murder.

However, it's been 50 years since her death and why is she more popular now in Argentina than ever before? For years, military dictatorships tried desperately to wipe out her memory by tearing her picture out of history books; banning her name; by destroying her hospitals and by kidnapping her embalmed body and hiding it away with help from the Vatican, in another continent. Filmakers and artists have portayed her as a glamorous and ambitious monster in movies such as "Little Mother" (That malicious, soft-core european movie released in the early 70's), "Evita Peron" (with Faye Dunaway) and in that famous musical- what's it called?? But after the witch-hunt, Evita still shines brighter than ever and her legacy hasn't really been tainted in the hearts and minds of Argentina's countless "poor" and "Descamisados".

So I have to say to Mr. Harbinson "Nice try."

It's rather annoying how the author uses disrespectful and childish words and terms to describe Eva Peron. It is obvious to anyone reading this book that Mr. Harbinson was dazzled by Eva Peron's sexuality and blonde good looks and his tone throughout the book is rather immature leaving the reader with the sense that he/she has just finished reading a biography written by a pre-teen. The historical mistakes are also numerous. It is very sad indeed that some people will read this and actually take every groundless accusation in to consideration. Like the musical "Evita", this biography should not be taken seriously. It is one-sided, false, and offensive and it takes the crown as the worst biography ever written on Eva Peron. If you must get this biography, I recommend getting the original 70's version titled "Evita- A Legend for the 70's". That version at least has an excellent assortment of photographs of the lovely Eva while the updated "Saint or Sinner" offers only a couple of pages worth. With that said, I recommend this book to the die-hard Evita fan or collectors to get the Anti-Peronist view of Eva and as an example of the fierce passions she aroused not just in Argentina but all over the world.

Also, highly recommended are the Marysa Navarro & Nicholas Fraser Biography "Evita- The Real Life of Eva Peron", J.M Taylor's "Eva Peron- The Myths of a Woman", Clive Foss's "Juan & Eva Peron" and the photographic biography "Evita- An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron." Recommended to a lesser degree is Martinez's "Santa Evita" and A Dujovne Ortiz's "Eva Peron-A Biography"- if you can read spanish I strongly recommend the Spanish version of the latter which is much better than the English translation.

Mr. Harbinson has evidentally done only the minimum of research on his subject and in doing so developed a very negative opinion of Evita Peron. The use of derogitory terms are used through out the book - finding the same term over and over within the same paragraph or sentance. I am glad that this is not the only book written about this very egnimatic woman as it would taint a readers ability to make an informed opinion of Evita Peron.

This book is a poor excuse of a biography on Eva Peron.From its title you would expect it to try to determine if she was a saint or sinner. Instead, the author does nothing, but rehash old gossip and tries to portray it as true.From the beginning of this book to the end he does not site any documentation for his claims and does not try to portray Eva Peron in a balanced light. For instance, he claims that Eva Peron used the radio for propaganda, because she knew most Argentines didn't read. She used the radio for propaganda, yet I seriously doubt that she knew it was because people did not read, I mean this was a woman who did not finish high school, yet she was the Machaevelli of her time, I think not. What really disturbs me is the blantant sexual innuendos that the author throws out. His book is laden w/ them, yet he portrays them as absolute truth. My second problem w/ this book is that it splits into two sections and the later half is about Madonna. He tries to say Madonna was great for the role of Evita because she was just as devious as Eva Peron. He should stick to a biography on Eva, not on Madonna. Lastly, he claims to reveal the secret forces who tried to stop the movie. As with most of the book, he does not answer the question and does nothing but throw innuedos and gossip back and forth trying to make it look truthful. Overall,this book would be excellent, if the tabloids were our standard for excellent literature and serious biographies.

For those of you who have read this book. This is a new edition of Harbinson's first Evita book titled "EVITA: A Legend for the Seventies" (published in 1977). Having read through both books, this new edition is identical (word by word) with the previous book with the inclusion on the chapter dealing with Madonna. The one significant difference between both books was the the 1977 version WAS LOADED WITH PICTURES! This version which is no longer published was for me an excelent book, which I can rate for a "10". It was structured in a coffee book table format (but softbound) which had several pictures in each page. With no doubt, the book seems very much inspired from Tim Rice's original libretto on Lloyd Webber's 1976 concept album. I fell in love with the musical in the seventies and this book served as my best point of reference. I can see from the reviews that many hate this book. For one who has read Harbinson's text on Evita for the first time, it will render some disappointment. So to address this to the author and publisher, I would STRONGLY SUGGEST that the book be RE-PACKAGED and give it the same look and feel on the 1977 edition. With the pictures intact! Those who are very skeptical on the authenticity of the book's facts will most likely change their impression on Harbinson's book, if it would be re-presented as the 1977 version. The pictures may make it seem like some tabloid but I would think that the book is worth reading (and even colllecting) in a hardbound coffeebook table edition. This new edition, I would rate it with an average "5". But if the publisher's give it the packaging it deserves, I would think that many would rate it as a "10".

This book was truly great. The other reviews trashed it, but I think that it gave a true testament to the woman. The title itself is brilliant. She did sooo many good things for the Argentinian people, one of the first leaders they really loved. they obviously did not know about the things she and her husband did. She forced people out of the country that she didn't like and she spent so much money that the Argentines became poor, and it is still affecting them. W. A. Harbinson has done a very detailed and true story. Showing the good and bad. If anyone wants to really know about her life without any favoritism, read this book!!!!!