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Writer's pictureDK Marley

War is Hell - an Editorial Review of Historical Nonfiction Book "Visions - Social Injustices and Its Enemies"



Book Blurb:


Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a new wave and synth-pop song by Tears for Fears that explores themes of human desire for control and power, and the resulting corruption and dystopian consequences. Set against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, the song critiques the capitalist West and communist East for creating a world of industrial decay.

This book delves into the social injustices and the human cost of power struggles, inspired by personal letters from soldiers killed in combat from WWI to the Vietnam War. These letters, found in an old army duffel bag, reveal the fears, hopes, and dreams of soldiers facing the harsh realities of war. "War is hell, and it is an injustice to everyone." - Chadwick Lane Murray


Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/wKVL


Author Bio:



The Author - Chadwick Lane Murray, was born on April 2, 1953. The early years were disarray and painful because of physical abuse by his parents. After moving to Arizona before third grade with his mother, the physical abuse and beatings stopped. But the mental pain and anguish did not. For that reason, a more detailed presentation of his early formative years would not be addressed. Writing, for him, was his mental escape, and it started in third grade. My early school years, from fourth through twelfth grade, were unremarkable. Hence, the story starts in college, where he continues to write. The effort to mentally escape over the years have been obscured by time. This has led to the writing of Visions.


Editorial Review:


This volume has been compiled to illustrate systematically the idea that social problems are created to the degree that injustice prevails. This is not a theory of problems; it is too diffuse to qualify as such. But, it is a broad postulate the systematic  illustration  of  which  may  help  to  generate a testable theory. Two  questions  arise  immediately:  What  is  injustice? And what  are  social  problems?  Such  questions  bring  us legitimately  into  the  realm  of  theory  since  there  are  a number of important theoretical conceptions of both justice (and  its  mirror  opposite,  injustice)  and  social  problems.”


“Visions: Social Injustice and Its Enemies to Man and All of Mankind” by Chadwick Lane Murray is a broad and wide-ranging discussion of social issues and injustice. The tome is divided into four main parts, each incorporating social themes and followed by concluding remarks. The context is a mix of historical accounts, testimony, and commentary. The opening chapters commence with an analysis of imperialism, against the background of the world wars and other significant conflicts. There is also content focused on race relations, racism, equality, and the prison system, among a range of other significant topics.


The book could fairly be described as a type of social encyclopedia, where each theme is an episode or section, which can be considered in isolation or read as a grouped set of subjects. Both domestic (United States of America) and international issues are referred to, including such diverse and pivotal environmental events as the mass slaughter of buffalo in the late 19th century, pollution, and over-fishing.


Some of the content is exceptionally graphic, including first-hand witness accounts of horrific lynchings and other barbaric murders of Negroes who fell into the power of hate-filled mobs. This content is truly nauseating. While this reviewer would never want or expect any writer to shy away from the reality of history, some readers may wish to exercise discretion as to the details. The language used in these witness accounts, and other similar content, is of its time and will likely be seen as a further confronting and/or insulting aspect to many readers of today.


Murray’s book will likely appeal to those readers who want to reflect on historical material that is analyzed in a contemporary context. There is a central theme of social injustice that continues through the narrative, albeit in diverse ways. Personal, racial, social, national and environmental inequality all feature. While the extent of injustice identified is sometimes overwhelming, the book does allow the reader to reflect on changes that are possible. 

 

The target audience will be those with an interest in social history and the development of society and communities. “A Vision of 1984” also serves as a record of the terrible injustices of the past. It is dedicated to “all of man and mankind” which may cause some readers to further reflect on the way language has changed over time.

 

A  good  inmate  is  one  who  makes  no  trouble  for  the institution. He may do whatever he wants — have homosexual affairs, run gambling concessions, deal dope, brutalize his fellows, peddle soft jobs— but so long as he is quiet  about  it  and  makes  no  trouble  the  administration cannot ignore, he will not be bothered by guards and he will be  paroled  out  reasonably  early  in  his  sentence. A  bad inmate is one who makes ripples, someone who complains about treatment or food or lack of educational opportunity or humiliation by guards; a very bad inmate is one who talks such  things  up  among  his  fellows;  an  outrageously  bad inmate is one who suggests to his fellows that they do not have to stand for such treatment, who tells them that the courts  may  have  sentenced  them  to  punishment  by incarceration but that does not mean the prison authorities have any duty or right to punish them further. Such inmates do  the  maximum  amount  of  time  the  law permits,  for authorities— parole boards and such— feel they are not fit to be released in         society for they have not learned how to “get along.”

 

The book is a lengthy one, and does seek to cover a range of topics. While there is much valuable and compelling material within its pages, some readers may prefer a more focused approach, with tighter editing. The narrative moves from historical accounts, to commentary, and to analysis (and back again) in a bid to cover a range of perspectives. This may mean that some readers need time to distil the central points of the author’s arguments.

 

Legend tells of the Little Red Schoolhouse that made equal opportunity available to children of every economic and social class, and, a little later in the nation’s history,

functioned as the primary instrument of the melting pot that offered  poor  immigrant children  access to the fullness of American  life.  Today  the  schools are  criticized  for  their failure  to  provide  equality  of  opportunity  to  poor  black children. The charge is true, but it is by no means the whole truth, nor is it new. The public schools have always failed the lower classes— both white and black. Current educational problems  stem  not  from  the  fact  that  the  schools  have changed, but from the fact that they continue to do precisely the job they have always done.”

 

"Visions: Social Injustice and Its Enemies to Man and All of Mankind” by Chadwick Lane Murray is a detailed compilation of historical accounts, including contemporary analysis of social injustice and the many forms this takes. The scale of writing is ambitious, and the book discusses several significant social themes, with much for the reader to consider and reflect on.

 

*****


"Visions: Social Injustice and Its Enemies to Man and All of Mankind” by Chadwick Lane Murray receives 3 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company


 

To enter the HFC Book of the Year contest and request an editorial review, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission



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