Customer Reviews

It's All About Power

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4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read the book, and until reading it, I must say I had taken a lot of the media portrayal of the Medina incident at face value. The book fascinated me, and the credibility really couldn't be questioned. The time between the incident and the actual writing of the book would indicate that it was not a knee-jerk emotional reaction, but rather a well-thought out, painstaking, courageous process to set the record straight. It also means that the decisions to name the names of those who abused power was considered carefully - honesty, even with some risk. Appreciating the book, or even writing the book as it is, doesn't automatically put one in the category of a sympathizer of Kahl. But it does make one think about the rights we all should have as citizens, and how and when they might be threatened by the system as it is. "It's All About Power" may not quite rival the literary quality of "Bitter Harvest", (another book on the same topic, not written by an insider however,) but I don't think it is meant to. It's meant to lay out the facts in a way that a reader can draw his or her own conclusion. I definitely think it accomplishes that goal.

I am a former law enforcement officer from a small North Dakota town. After reading this book, I felt as if both authors just told me their stories face-to-face. The diagrams and photos really put me "at the scene". It is obvious that the authors of this book are not writers by trade, which actually made it a refreshing change from the same old, same old. I can relate to these officers having to wear many "hats" at their job. Graf shows the world, through this book, what being a Peace Officer is all about--trying to keep the peace. Unlike other authors of books on this subject, Graf actually met with and talked to the murderer on several occasions prior to the shoot-out, making informed decisions on first-hand knowledge. Others chose to ignore this knowledge when it was brought to their attention. Unlike a previous reader review, I've actually had a chance to meet with and talk to the authors after I read this book. I've seen the documentation they have to back up everything they write about in this book. Read the others first if you like, but save this book for last. It is the only true and accurate account you will read!

I lived in North Dakota at the time of these events. The author's first-hand account is consistent with, but fills in a lot of the blanks that have been written and reported about the confrontation at Medina ever since.

Critics of the book may point to minor flaws such as allegations of ...covering by the authors. I do not find such flaws nearly as credible as the book. Both Graf and Schnabel were professionals who were cooperative and did more than they were asked. Yes, their small-town police departments was organized like (surprise!) a small-town police department. And, yes, their account is factual, direct and down-to-earth, not full of socialogical [stuff] like Bitter Harvest, the first major book on the incident.

Neither author is apt to get rich on the book as it tells neither side exactly what they want to hear. Accordingly, the only fans of the book are likely to be those interested in just the unvarnishied, unfiltered facts from two police officers who did the best job they could with the tools available and are probably the only ones who conducted themselves properly thoughout all the events leading up to this incident and the aftermath thereof.

In short, if you believe your government is always right and never lies, skip this book because it will shatter your dreams. Skip it also if you believe the tax protest fringe is always the unfortunate victims of a government conspiracy. However, if you believe the truth lies somewhere between, you owe it to yourself to get and read this book.

Having been involved in understanding first-hand much of the details of the Gordon Kahl Incident, I was eager to learn more. What I read was amateurish writing with a promise of objectivity that never delivered. The authors conveniently have left out much of the important facts of this incident, show a bazarre empathy as law officers toward Gordon and Yori Kahl, and convey their "message" regardless of the criminal past and threat posed by those directly involved in this incident. There are no real indepth background insights offered on either the offenders or the law officers involved, which a real author would do to enlighten his audience. The photo captions are weak to meaningless. The authors list key players at the beginning with a layout as if it was for movie credits, but include no U.S. Marshal Service names involved with the investigation and trial, who all played important roles. Reading Gordon Kah's description of the events was interesting, however.

I have been fascinated by the incident for many years. The incident IS fascinating. The book is a joke. Poorly written. Poorly edited. It reads like a conversation over coffee at some hole in the wall pancake house deep in the bowels of North Dakota. I feel for the ex-cops that experienced the shoot-out. I am sorry, but leave the writing for the professionals - so the two guys who unfortunately had to deal with the poorly planned attempt at apprehending Kahl - can have their memories for their kids, grandkids, etc.... I am sorry but the book is just plain BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know about this incident, Graf tries to defend his actions, but confirms how wrong he was, he does not seem to yet understand that he messed up and he brought his co-author down with him. I think the body of the book was ok, author Schnable does a very good job, you will feel bad for him and understand why Graf is out in the cold, his administraitive skills seemed to be limited you can tell by his Medina PD structure, all but one officer has a high rank? This book is bias toward the tax protestor/killers he writes about. Granted the marshals made a big error and it cost them, as Graf stood by not helping, now you learn about how he lives with that. Graf tries to blame everone but himself. It is very rough and very strange book, but if you are interested in this subject read it. Bitter Harvest is a must read for the real story.