Mother India; a polemical attack against Indian self-rule written by U.S. historian Katherine Mayo; was met with a storm of controversy when it was published in 1927. The controversy generated still reverberates and thus is still worth revisiting; some fifty years after Indian independence. In responding to Mayo's argument laid out in Mother India; the leaders of the national movement and the independent women's movement in India laid the foundations of an alliance that gave modern Indian nationalism its distinctive character.
#31783 in Books Edward J Larson 2006-10-02 2006-10-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x .80 x 6.06l; .98 #File Name: 046507510X336 pagesSummer for the Gods The Scopes Trial And America s Continuing Debate over Science And Religion
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Historical Tour de Force that is also a Fantastic Story to Read. You Must Read This.By The Cat-TribeA detailed; thorough; and authoritative look at the clash between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. The author discusses the background contexts of the cultural forces that culminated in the trial; in the backgrounds of each of the major (and several of the other) participants in the trial; and the ongoing struggles over cultural and legal issues raised in the trial. Of course; the trial itself is brought to life in accurate detail that maintains the drama and excitement of more fictional takes on the clash. Whether one is interested in American history; the question of evolution or creationism in schools; the roll of fundamentalism in the past and future; critical chapters in the biographies of Darrow and Bryan; or a myriad of other subjects; this is a must read. If one simply wants an enjoyable; engaging read that happens to be factual rather than fictional; you've found the right book. I cannot say enough good things about this work.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Here's what really happened...By E. J. BostonLarson's Pulitzer Prize winning work is careful; clear; and revealing.Book thesis: A book solely about the [Scopes] trial and its place in American history; America's continuing debate over science and religion.This book does precisely what it sets out to do: take a look at the Scopes trial and evaluate what it has meant for American society since that time. In fact; as one reads the book; one finds that Larson accomplishes exactly what he intends to with each chapter. Is it written so clearly that the reader never has to wonder where Larson will be going in the respective chapter--the chapter thesis is almost always placed at the end of the first paragraph; and summarizes to the reader the happenings during the chapter. Of course; the remainder of the chapter is not redundant; but merely substantiates the initial claim. Although one might determine the first section ("Before...") to be a bit dry; this section is crucial to understanding the remainder of the book and the significance of the trial even at the onset. Truly; the way Larson sets up the arguments for both sides of the case (chapters 2 and 3); create an immense amount of tension within me as I wrestled with the validity of both claims. It really does make sense for the majority to determine what is taught to their children; but it also makes sense to have the experts determine what should be taught in their field. So; even though the first section may be a bit dry; it is essential to understanding what this trial represents.Of course; it represents different things to different peoples--to some it merely means money. Larson does an excellent job of pulling back the curtain to reveal the actual events that occurred; he is not influenced by later recapitulations of the trial (but in fact devotes a whole chapter to explain these and why they are misguided). His recounting is measured and accurate; and he does not allow subjective interpretation or framing of the events (indeed; throughout one is hard pressed to find evidence for which side they believe Larson himself agrees with!). The interpretation which he eventually does offer is merely more historical recounting--what people thought and believed about the trial after it was over. Larson is a careful historian who is truly interested in clearing up the dust surrounding one of America's most famous and influential trials.For those who grew up hearing the legends of the Scopes trial; this is for you.For those of a younger generation who have never heard "Scopes" except in passing reference; this is for you too--it helps not only understand history; but understand today and our trajectory.(Responding to what another reviewer has said regarding Intelligent Design; Larson answers in the new Afterword.)0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Informative; But Too Much Detail for Most ReadersBy Jonathan SwiftThis is a very informative book; but a good editor was needed to eliminate some of the repetitive detail. The mid-section; about the trial itself; was interesting; but the first and final sections; dealing with events leading up to the trial and the events resulting from the trial were way too detailed for anyone but a scholar or student of this period. It seemed as though Mr. Larson did a great deal of research and decided to use everything he found. For the interested but casual reader; this level of detail was hard to slog through and unnecessary.
