Overturning the Culture of Violence [Paperback]

Penny Hess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2000

Examination of the effects of the transatlantic slave trade on the world economy and the development of black consciousness and resistance in the U.S. Analyzes white people's relationship to this history and deals with the question of reparations to African people.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A timely and authoritative work, informing readers of the undeniably brutal history experienced by oppressed peoples of the world. -- Henry Berry, Editor, Small Press Book Review

From the Publisher

An earlier version of this book was published in 1991 as Culture of Violence. Much has taken place in the world since the publication of that original book, which was less than 200 pages long. During the past decade, the voice of the oppressed has grown stronger; the movements of African and indigenous peoples have continued to expose "the lies my teacher told us."

No longer can the rape and crimes of slave masters like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington be hidden. No longer can Christopher Columbus be held up as anything other than an agent of genocide. Many new and excellent books have appeared during the 1990s, detailing much more of the true history as experienced by those who make up capitalism's pedestal.

When we decided to reissue Culture of Violence in 1999, we felt that it needed some revision. In the process of revision, the book ended up being more than 600 pages long-and even then we had to cut out enormous amounts of material. The result was a completely different entity which we named Overturning the Culture of Violence. The scope of this book encompasses ancient history up through the current situation today. With this enormous time frame, we can only present an overview and do not pretend to make a thorough and exacting study of history. There are many, many more past and present-day events which could have been included had we the time and the space.

We consciously used easily accessible books for source materials for Overturning the Culture of Violence, rather than scholarly and esoteric material. Thus, the information put forward here is available to most people in books found at libraries and bookstores. We have used many direct quotes because we felt that it was important that certain points be made in the authors' own words. We recommend that all of the books listed in the bibliography be studied for their contributions to a more thorough understanding of the culture of violence.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Burning Spear Uhuru Publications (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891624024
• ISBN-13: 978-1891624025
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,906,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener for white people and all people, January 7, 2002

By 

Joel M Hamburger (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Overturning the Culture of Violence (Paperback)

As a white person, I found this book to be very challenging. It is an exhaustively researched history of the murder, theft and betrayal on which this country is founded and maintained. The bibliographies are extensive and the argument for reparations is compelling.
The author constantly fast forwards to expain the consequences of our bloody history for today's world. An overriding theme is her indictment of U.S. domestic and foreign policies right up through the present day war on drugs. After reading this, it will be hard to argue that the U.S. has ever believed in democracy for all, or that it has ever fought a just war anywhere in the world.
Equally disturbing and astounding is the history of betrayal of oppressed peoples by every sector of the white population - liberals and conservatives, gays and straights, men and women, Jews and gentiles, workers and elites, etc.
Penny Hess clearly has contributed to the forward motion of white people's knowledge of who we are in the world and how we can change that into something positive.
HAVE THE COURAGE TO READ THIS BOOK.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On my fourth read..., January 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Overturning the Culture of Violence (Paperback)

I've given this book to several friends and have ended up reading it over again with them. We've had some really great conversations because of this book. I continue to get more out of it each time I read it. You could say that it has almost become a reference guide for information since I also find myself reaching for it when I need to remember significant dates and historical references. I agree with what other reviews have already said, that it is challenging to me as a white person and that it really unveils the ugly truths about our history. I think it challenges white people to not be defensive about the truth. But also I found this book to be really beautiful because it tells so much about how other people around the world have lived - so much that I never learned about before - never saw in any textbooks growing up. I also found it very exciting because, if you're open to it, it shows how we can begin to look at our real history square in the face and be part of 'overturning' it. I think that this book is ideal for you if you are interested in seeing unity in this country and around the world.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From History to the Present, December 19, 2001

By 

Wendy Lea Snyder (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Overturning the Culture of Violence (Paperback)

This book is heartfelt, bold, and a well-documented volume that uncovers the history of America and capitalism from the perspective of African and oppressed peoples. I highly recommend it to everyone. I also really liked it because unlike most mainstream books, it didn't try to cater to the sentiments of the general U.S. (white) population.

Anyone who wants a fresh perspective on U.S. history, World History, Slavery, the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the Sixties, the "War on Drugs," police brutality and the prison system, should order and read this book. It is critical of white people when many books refuse to be critical of the actions of regular white people in history and the present. I say that as a white person.

I am very thankful that Penny Hess did the research and also utilized her knowledge that she's gained from her activism to write this book. I also appreciate that there is an organization that is struggling for social change that is behind the words.

There are eight chapters to the book that each are loaded with details from history and references to other books. This book is well worth the money and I encourage everyone to get it for themselves, their friends, their parents, their children, their schools and discussion groups to read. It has the following chapters:

1. The Inescapable Dialectic
2. Broken Spears
3. Black Power and the White Man's Game
4. Counterinsurgency: War Against Oppressed Peoples
5. Genocide in Modern Form
6. A Mother's Cry
7. The Battle of St. Petersburg
8. Reparations Now!

Despite the terrible history of genocide and slavery and oppression that this book describes, it really puts forward a positive vision of the future that I think everyone can embrace.

I think Overturning the Culture of Violence is a crucial book for us to read to also understand why the rest of the world would hate people in the United States. The events of September 11th make this even more necessary if we are talking about building a world that is not based on "haves" and "have-nots" and one where all people can live in justice and in peace.

Read this book in 2002. It will open your eyes!!