The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?: Goldman, Francisco: Amazon.com: Books

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Francisco Goldman

The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? Paperback – Bargain Price, September 1, 2008

by Francisco Goldman (Author)

4.5 131 ratings

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Bishop Juan Gerardi, Guatemala’s leading human rights activist, was bludgeoned to death in his garage on a Sunday night in 1998, two days after the presentation of a groundbreaking church-sponsored report implicating the military in the murders and disappearances of some two hundred thousand civilians. Realizing that it could not rely on police investigators or the legal system to solve the murder, the church formed its own investigative team, a group of secular young men in their twenties who called themselves Los Intocables (the Untouchables). Known in Guatemala as “The Crime of the Century,” the Bishop Gerardi murder case, with its unexpectedly outlandish scenarios and sensational developments, confounded observers and generated extraordinary controversy. In his first nonfiction book, acclaimed novelist Francisco Goldman has spoken to witnesses no other reporter has reached, and observed firsthand some of the most crucial developments in the case. Now he has produced The Art of Political Murder, a tense and astonishing true detective story that opens a window on the new Latin American reality of mara youth gangs and organized crime, and tells the story of a remarkable group of engaging, courageous young people, and of their remarkable fight for justice.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Grove Press
Publication date

September 1, 2008
Dimensions

7.86 x 5.88 x 1.17 inches
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00375LNA6
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.86 x 5.88 x 1.17 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #7,993,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,196 in Central America History
- #15,910 in Murder & Mayhem True Accounts
- #23,296 in Deals in Books

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4.5 131 ratings

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Francisco Goldman

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Francisco Goldman has published five novels and two books of nonfiction. The Long Night of White Chickens was awarded the American Academy’s Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction and the novel Say Her Name won the 2011 Prix Femina étranger. The Ordinary Seaman was a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The Divine Husband was a finalist for the Believer Book Award. The Art of Political Murder won the Index on Censorship T.R. Fyvel Book Award and the WOLA/Duke Human Rights Book Award. The Interior Circuit, published in 2013, was named by the LA Times as one of ten best books of the year and received the Blue Metropolis “Premio Azul.” He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and a Berlin Fellow. He was a 2018-19 Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. He is the founder and co-director of the Premio Aura Estrada, in honor of his late wife, an award for women of the Americas 35 and under who write creative prose in Spanish. His books have been published in sixteen languages.

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Why Bill Clinton apologized.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2010

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This review is for the Grove Press hardcover first edition, January 1, 2007, 357 pages of narrative plus appendices. THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER is not listed on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books.

This book details the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi in Guatemala in April 1998 and the ensuing nine years of investigation and prosecution of persons complicit in the killing. The author, a journalist born in Guatemala but working in New York, also wrote three novels. THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER reads like, and is as engaging as, a mystery thriller. But the characters, plot, twists, intrigues and horrors were provided by the Guatemalan oligarchy, not the author's imagination.

The bishop's murder appears to be in retaliation for the publication of the REMHI report, the result of the Archdiocese survey of atrocities committed by the Guatemalan Army during the 36 years of internal war. But a smokescreen of alternative motives emerges along with the intimidation of witnesses, lawyers, prosecutors and judges, forcing many of them to flee the country.

Goldman weaves an easily understandable narrative and structure for the nearly 200 named players in these intrigues. For easy reference, appendices provide a list of the primary persons involved, a timeline, the author's sources and notes and an index with page references for all individuals mentioned.

THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER vividly portrays army officers accustomed to impunity, judicial officials fearful for their families and the terrified, street-smart indigents who know what really happened to the bishop. In relating the arrogance and fears of the adversaries, Goldman enlightens us on the long conflict between the wealthy Guatemalan oligarchy and most everyone else in a country where the army directly or indirectly controlled the government for decades. As a bonus, read this book to understand why President Bill Clinton, in February 1999, apologized to the Guatemalan people for the United States having supported the Guatemalan Army during the past fifty years.

6 people found this helpful

garthsonofsoren

Excellent detailed account

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2011

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Francisco Goldman lends a personal interest, his mother is Guatemalan, while providing vivid descriptive detail to the very public and disturbing assassination of Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Jose Gerardi. Bishop Gerardi had become the leading voice for justice for the genocide that had been carried out during the early 1980's against the Mayan indigenous communities in rural Guatemala.

The intellectual authors of this gruesome crime have yet to be brought to justice. If you know little about Guatemala, its miserable Human Rights record, the involvement of US officials at the highest levels, then this book will walk you through this sordid history as background to help you understand the bizzare case, and how a bold group of young persons go about bringing to justice the perpetrators.

A recently released feature film simply titled Gerardi, La Pelicula, dramatizes the life of Gerardi up until the moment of his death. I recommend it as an excellent experience to enjoy before reading the book. It puts in context many of the elements that are treated by Goldman's narrative.

It can be purchased from GEAP ('jeep'), the Guatemala Education Action Project, from their website [...]

2 people found this helpful

I'm in the middle

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2008

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The reviews here seem to fall into 3 camps: the "it's a perfect masterpiece"" camp, the "he was duped by ODHA - 'who killed the bishop' got it right" camp, and the "he is a lefist fool" camp. I belong to none of these, so let me throw my two cents in here....

I spent a brief time in Guatemala doing human rights work in the mid 80's (a shout out to any PBI alums in the house :)), and so was interested in the subject matter, and had at least a glancing acquaintance with the horrid murderous travesty that was the Guatemalan government, as well as the impenetrable fog of denials, mis-statements, forgeries, violence, hidden agendas, disappearances and murk that hid virtually any attempt to get at any truth.

I found the first half of the book (which focuses on the "who-done-it") outstanding. Here Goldman relates the story of the investigation - the false leads, the disappearing witnesses, the hopelessly (and deliberately) contaminated crime scene, the (deliberately) conflicting evidence, the overlapping areas (and agendas) of the investigators, etc. That the investigators were able to finally pierce it (not completely, but most crimes never are) is just amazing, especially given the very real threat to themselves and their families.

I think the other reviewers who criticize this book for not analyzing the case for/against Monsenor Mario, or for not analyzing the case made by 'who killed the bishop' are being unfair - goldman spends a _lot_ of time on each of these, especially the latter, to the point that you could almost criticize the book for over-focusing on it. Similarly, I think criticizing the book for not telling more of the story of the defendants is ludicrous - when your primary interactions with a defendant consist of their giving you death threats, it's hard to go much further!

The problem with the book lies in the second half, what is called the "second crime" - the multi-year "war of attrition" against the verdict, year after year of judicial games, wars in the press, maneuver after maneuver. Here, while I appreciate the author's work in showing us just how deeply broken the justice system and press were (and are), I just felt the book became a less interesting read - we know who done it, we know why, now we read chapter after chapter of frustration (although it sure made me glad I've never been a guest of the Guatemalan Penal system!). One last cavil - another reviewer says that Goldman never walks us through the final 'best guess' of the final crime, minute by minute - oh yes he does, it's near the end.

So in summary - a good book, an important book, a book alternately deeply depressing and deeply inspiring, but not a great _read_, the only reason I am marking it down a little.

29 people found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

aquinas

A Masterpiece: Investigation Over 8 Years of Who Killed a Guatamalan Bishop

Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2013

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Seriously gripping stuff, beautifully written. The book needs a glossary of Guatamalan-Spanish terms. To be fair, all are explained when they first occur and there is a list of who is who at the end of the book.

Well worth buying and giving to anyone who wants to know some of the malign effects of U. S. interference in other countries in the Americas.

The author apparently holds both Guatamalan and U. S. citizenship and is an award-winning novelist. This book is his first non-fiction work.

silence is golden

Amazing journalism

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2013

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If you want to understand the workings of a corrupt and seemingly lost society and to marvel at those who want to make things better this book is a testimony to all those who still care about right and wrong in a country ravaged by war and the dark side of human behaviour. GOLDMAN takes you into the heart of a political murder and illustrates just what it takes to find the truth. More terrifying than any crime fiction.These people exist, what they did happened. I highly recommend this book.

Amazon Customer

Francisco Goldman is a master

Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

This reads like a detective novel but it is carefully documented journalism. Highly recommend it!

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