Customer Reviews

The Secret Wars of Judi Bari: A Car Bomb, the Fight for the Redwoods and the End of Earth First!

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I felt this was a rich and complete evaluation of the life and struggles of the dedicated environmentalist, Judi Barri.
This book thoughtfully explores the complicated intersection of the personal and political in a wonderfully gripping tale of political activism, passion and crime.

An excellent job on a tough subject and very readable. This book does a wonderful job detailing the story behind the bombing of Judi Bari and gives a clear picture of a driven environmentalist who was all too human. It is well researched and does a thorough and engaging job of describing Judi and the aspects of the environmental movement with which she was associated. The story is disturbing for those of us who would like to believe that the leaders involved in this movement always approach this cause with impeccable moral integrity. It will also bother those who would prefer to ignore the truth in order to maintain the appearance of infallability and moral righteousness of the participants within the movment. For the rest of us it is a very worthwhile read.

I found Kate Coleman's book on Judi Bari to be extremely well researched and presented. A "can't put down" piece of history about an environmentalist whose heart, words and actions were not always going in the same direction. I grew up in San Francisco in the sixties and moved to the North Coast 22 years ago. Reading this book has been like a walk down memory lane. One of the most important elements of truth is proportion and I believe that The author "Kate Coleman" has succeeded in bringing to the reader a perspective that gives true insight to the many different views that are held on this issue. Kate did lots of home work for this book and she did it well. Thank you Kate

Marc Parsley

Kate Coleman's Secret Wars of Judi Bari is an absorbing, informative and even-handed exploration of the intersection of a powerul woman's personality with the environmental movement. I learned so much.

I read with great interest Kate Coleman's recent book on Judi Bari. The book makes a compelling case for reopening the investigation of the bombing that crippled Bari as well as offers a sympathetic view of the complex and legendary icon that was to become a vicarious diva for many activists. As a person who knew both Bari and especially her former husband, Mike Sweeney, Coleman's book offers insight into both Bari's followers as well as her personal life. The book also poses many questions regarding the role of Bari's former husband, Mike Sweeney,in the bombing of Bari's vehicle that left the radical diva disabled. For those who wish to compare and contrast interpretations of history and political points of view in the interest of good critical thinking, this book is a must.

Dr. Danny Weil, ESQ.
The Critical Thinking Institute

Kate Coleman addresses an important left-wing Hero with critical thinking and a willingness to address what really happens behind the scenes of any movement. Much like David Brock's book, "Blinded by the Right", this book addresses what happens when any one of us becomes a "True Believer." Protecting our environment from corporations is truly a mind-boggling job and there are no simple paths. The fact that Judi Bari took this path shows her courage and is deserving of great respect. She, like all of us, had blind spots.

In these Bush times it is extremely important to separate reality from political beliefs unless you want to believe that Saddam Hussein is Ossama Bin Laden.

One of those books that's a joy to read; fast paced, well written and loaded with information. Coastal Northern California is one of the world's unique regions. Kate Coleman's book really tells its story.

I had no idea who Judi Bari was when I bought this book largely on the recommendation of other Amazon reviewers. I was looking for something readable and it certainly hit the spot. I can also sympathize heavily with the fight to keep 1000-year-old trees from becoming deck siding.

The author does a good job of presenting the complicated character of the woman, both the positive and negative elements. I felt like I gained a pretty good understanding of Judi Bari and I have to admit that the negative reviews here are quite puzzling. They seem to be based more on hero worship than an objective reading of the book.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was learning more about the life and times of the North Coast communities, so much so that I hope to travel there within the next year to see the Redwoods and meet the people. The book is quite funny in places and the author does a good job of capturing the paranoia and ego that can cause friction between those devoted to the same passionate cause.

Anyone who has followed the writings of Kate Coleman could hardly imagine that her sympathies do not remain with the American left.

It seems likely, considering the repetition, that many who attack Coleman by connecting her with the politics of her publisher, or suggesting that her book is a Òsmear job,Ó or referring people to the well-financed Sweeney website, are the product of a small cadre whose public life is tied up in the martyr/saint image of Judi Bari.

My own knowledge of Earth First or CaliforniaÕs north coast is insufficient to follow the particular disputesÉ though I would imagine that any heretic who did talk to Coleman is now under pressure to recant. For this reader, the bookÕs larger story was one that I read with fascination.

Coleman places Bari in the context of a back-to-the earth activism that developed in favorable rural areas after the 60Õs, and that derived both strength and weakness from a set of communal, survivalist values. Coleman herself must be something of a naturalist, for her best writing comes in tender descriptions of the landscape.

Coleman credits Bari and other environmental activists with hard work in their legal research, which succeeded at times in stalling the corporations that lay waste to our resources and environment. She also has a keen eye for the in-group battles over status, money, tactics and publicity which tear at smaller activist groups. It seems inevitable, under the circumstances, that a certain Òcult of personalityÓ would develop around the charismatic Judi Bari.

For Coleman, the struggles of Earth First came to a turning point with the mystery of who put the bomb in BariÕs car. While BariÕs friends still cling to the concept that the FBI did it, Coleman traces the event to a thread of more personal passions and rivalries. The overlooked evidence she cites is not strong enough to bring anyone to trial, as she herself takes pains to make clear. But itÕs hard to read about the event in the context of BariÕs complicated life without wishing the investigation had gone a little farther.

I would never have imagined I could be interested in a book about Judi Bari. However, Kate Coleman gives us a history of a woman, a movement and a community that is compelling and insightful. Ms. Coleman's writing is excellent, and leaves the reader thinking about the book long after the last page is turned.