Not One More Mother's Child [Paperback]

Cindy Sheehan (Author), Thom Hartmann (Introduction), Jodie Evans (Introduction), John Conyers Jr. (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

In 2004, Cindy Sheehan lost her son Casey Austin Sheehan in an ambush in Iraq. As information became available verifying that the war was based on lies and "cooked intelligence," she began speaking out and testifying in the halls of Congress. In August 2005, she went to Crawford, Texas, to confront President Bush, unexpectedly opening the floodgates of a renewed American peace movement. Ten thousand people joined her, and millions more worldwide followed. The founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, Sheehan here movingly recounts her first year of activism, sharing her thoughts and actions with readers for the first time in book form. Reflecting on war and peace, truth and accountability, she takes the Bush administration to task for its corruption and incompetence. Equal parts compelling memoir and call to action, Not One More Mother's Child tells in Sheehan's distinctive voice how historical events and personal tragedy transformed her from grieving mom to ardent activist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Casey Sheehan, perhaps the most famous GI to die in Iraq, was an Eagle Scout who wanted to be a church Deacon, according to his mother, Cindy. That was before a "lying, fooling, and betraying" George Bush and the "arrogant and ignorant neocons" sent him to die in an unjust and immoral war-this, too, according to Sheehan and her high-profile supporters. Congressman John Conyers claims in the preface that Sheehan is his hero, and writer Thomas Hartmann adds praise by comparing her to Julia Ward, who penned "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." No doubt Sheehan has become a hero to many. This collection of her writings does very little, however, to perpetuate her heroism other than to recap what has already been seen and heard in the media. There are diary entries, letters and speeches, most of which reiterate her anti-Bush, anti-war stance. In fairness, she is a mother, not a writer; an activist and founding member of Gold Star Families for Peace, not a journalist. The book gains momentum when Sheehan describes her decision to go to Bush country in August 2005 to stage the "peaceful occupation" of Crawford. But it gets bogged down with florid declarations of her waging a "Holy War against the War on Terrorism." Though Sheehan's anguish is made brutally palpable, this book reads like an extended rant, not an instrument of resistance.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Koa Books (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977333809
• ISBN-13: 978-0977333806
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,268,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Had much higher hopes, December 2, 2005

By 

PoliSciNerd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not One More Mother's Child (Paperback)

As someone with a background in the social sciences and an interest in protest groups (particularly those in France), I had somewhat higher hopes for this book. Agree or disagree with Ms. Sheehan, she has become a national figure and is worthy of study for anyone interested in protest movements.

I've listend to many of her speeches and, to be frank, she doesn't give a speech well. At all. That said, this is to be expected - Ms. Sheehan is not a politician, not a polished public relations expert, and likely has little experience in front of large crowds when compared to a politician or academic. She lacks cohesion, tends to ramble, repeats herself, etc. I can accept this relatively poor performance in front of crowds - she doesn't have the experience and it's nerve wracking. Her message is largely driven by emotion, so it makes sense.

I expected Ms. Sheehan to be slightly more collected in this book. It is infinitely easier to structure an argument when putting it on paper - especially with the help of editors. Sheehan wants to make many important points, and I expected this to be the medium she could best use to make them.

The book failed entirely to live up to my expectations. Rather than taking a step back from the raw emotion of the podium and making calm, sensible arguments to support her views, Sheehan has published page after page of ramblings. I understand that Sheehan is not a political science professor or sociologist, but where is her research? Credible sources to support her point of view in the book are sparse - much as they are in her speeches. She lashes out randomly, stopping mid-thought to fit in a jab at her arch-enemies rather than attempt to drive points home with reasonable arguments. It is very difficult to take her seriously under these conditions.

This book simply isn't cogent. The content could have been compelling and the book could have helped Ms. Sheehan gain support for her views, but her lack of organization and constant attacks - some of which border on childishness - degrade any case she was trying to make. I'd really like to understand what Ms. Sheehan thinks - maybe she needs a better editor?

Try again, Ms. Sheehan. Get a better editing team and try again.

In the meantime, for those interested in learning about more negative views on the Iraq war I would recommend Rashid Khalidi's "Resurrecting Empire" or one of many other books on the war. Sheehan's book was not nearly ready for publication.

114 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written, what was the publisher thinking?, November 30, 2005

By 

avid reader (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not One More Mother's Child (Paperback)

[...] This book is poorly written. [...]

I am not sure if the publisher left it as-is thinking that its bad writing might somehow relate to people, but it was the wrong choice. While I don't agree with the message this book delivers, and I don't agree with the 'author' in general, the editor/publisher of this book should have made it an actual book instead of a paper blog.

91 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Written, December 2, 2005

By 

Hans Mast (Hutchinson, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not One More Mother's Child (Paperback)

This book was very poorly written. Not only is it full of grammatical errors, but the arguments don't make sense. The facts haven't been well-checked, either. She cites several urban legends that even the mainstream media has disproven.

If you want good liberal books, don't waste your time with this one. Read someone who helps the cause, not hurts it.