The Force of Reason

by Oriana Fallaci

Book Overview

In the follow up to The Rage and the Pride, the distinguished Italian historian describes the impact of her controversial book on her own life, detailing the personal attacks and death threats she... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0847827534
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Rizzoli
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

a true heroine

in the twilight of her life oriana fallaci wastes no time and makes a heroic effort to wake up the "natives"of eurabia before it is too late. Reiterating the pact made with the arabs in 1973 when the Europeans sold their souls for oil Ms.Fallaci rails against the Muslim takeover of democracy where there is no longer free speech,free press,free thought or freedom of religion except for what is deemed politicaly correct which is islamophilic,anti american and anti christian. The media is targeted as well for their censorship of all things that might reflect badly upon islam and their hand wringing excuse making sob stories excusing any muslim of any mischief including polygamy,illegal immigration which is in the millions and last falls rioting in France deemed due to unemployment which somehow Hindu's,Buddhists,Atheists,Jews and Christians escape. This book is a warning not to be taken lightly by Europe indeed the world. For a Europe who ignored Mein Kampf I expect litle but hope much.

Another tour de force by the inestimable Fallaci.

This is the second in Fallaci's trilogy. Her third book has not yet been translated into English. But this book gives us plenty to consider in the meantime. Fallaci's first book in this trilogy was the Rage and the Pride published in Italian newspapers shortly after 911 and then made into a very short book. There is still the rage from the first book, but now it is coupled to a powerful unrelenting reason making this book, in my mind, far more powerful. This book is significantly longer and delves into much greater depth in considering the Muslim problem. Fallaci speaks with a burning passion about the problems posed by Islamic supremacism. She presents a view of the Muslim threat to Europe in unambiguous terms undiluted by political correctness. And therein lies the rub for most of her detractors. Fallaci tells the truth and they can't handle the truth. It flies in the face of their cozy ecumenical multicultural world view in which all values are rendered equal by relativism. This of course is pure sophistry. Islam is a conquering faith that is spread by the sword. It's tradition teaches supremacism and subjugation of the infidel. She paints a very compelling picture of a "religion" committed to world domination. From the book: And whoever believes in the myth of moderate Islam should reread the stories of the burned convents and monasteries, of the profaned churches, of the raped nuns, of the Christian or Jewish women abducted to be locked away in their harems. He should ponder on the crucifixions of the Cordoba, the hangings of Granada, the beheadings of Toledo and Barcelona, of Seville and Zamora. (The beheadings of Seville, ordered by Mutamid: the king who used those severed heads, heads of Jews and Christians, to adorn his palace. The beheadings of Zamora, ordered by Almanzor: the vizier who was called the-patron-of-the-philosophers, the greatest leader Islamic Spain ever produced). Christ! Invoking the name of Jesus meant instant execution. Crucifixion, of course, or decapitation or hanging or impalement. Ringing a bell, the same. Wearing green, the colour exclusive to Islam, also. And when a Muslim passed by, every Jew and Christian was obliged to step aside. To bow. And mind to the Jew or the Christian who dared react to the insults of a Muslim. As for the much-flaunted detail that the infidel-dogs were not obliged to convert to Islam, not even encouraged to do so, do you know why they were not? Because those who converted to Islam did not pay taxes. Those who refused, on the contrary, did." Fallaci speaks of the vitiation of the word peace by the so called "peace movement" who she calls opportunists "who mimic the one-way pacifism of Immanuel Kant and resort to war with brazen-faced impudence. They do it in the name of humanity, of course. And, more than often, waving a revolutionary flag. Because also a revolution is war." Plato says that war exists and will always exist because it comes from human passions. Fallaci

Impassioned Reason

There are two groups that are going to really hate this book. One are the Islamists who divide humanity into two groups: the People of Paradise and the People of Hell. And who insist that their beliefs alone are off-limits when it comes to critical inquiry. The second group is the multiculturalists and relativists, who do not find anything particular valuable in Western Culture over any other culture (including those who kill a daughter who has been raped to preserve "honor".) So who WILL like this book? Those who do deeply cherish Western culture as it has developed through the US constitution, who value the hard won freedom and autonomy of the individual, who believe that women are the equals of men and should be treated as so, and those who believe that humanity reaches its greatest heights when the human mind is left free. Make no mistake about it. Fallaci really really hates (my word) what is happening to her culture (an ongoing surrender to an immigrating, limiting Islam), because she really loves what Western Culture (via Locke and others) has been. And that passion comes in like a great blazing fireball. She is a real and authentic voice, with ragged edges, authenticity, fire, and conviction. The multiculturalists, pacifists, Islamists and others are doing everything they can to shut her up. But it seems that the strength of her fire only grows. The West is so lucky to have a woman like her. We need a thousand such voices, and even more. We need the passionate understanding of how wonderful our own culture is, and how it is worth preserving and fighting for. Read this book with While Europe Slept and you'll get a real education. Fallaci's The Force of Reason is a raw act of courage. And Fallaci is a great hero of our time. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude to her for the gift of her passion, as rare as diamonds and as precious as gold in a culture becoming as limp as milque toast.

A courageous voice for Western civilization

There is a new section opening up in the libraries of the world. It will contain books on 'the Islamic threat to Western Civilization.' Bat-Yeor's 'Eurabia' was a pioneer, as were the works of Robert Spencer. Bruce Bawer, Andrew Bostom and later in this year Mark Steyn will have his chance to explain why 'old Europe' seems to be folding up and dying before the Muslim invasion. What then makes Oriana Fallaci's book of special value and meaning? For one thing she is a first hand observer, a European, an Italian journalist of worldwide reputation. Secondly, she has a personal story of the reactions to her previous writings on the subject, the attacks, the boycotting, the hatred, the efforts to silence her, the driving her from her native Italy to her current place of refuge in New York. A good part of this present book tells her own story and she is not shy about condemning those who sees as not simply attacking her, but betraying the West. As Fallaci understands it all the political forces of the West, the Left, the Right, and most surprisingly and painfully the Church have submitted to the Islamic onslaught. The Muslims speak openly about taking over Western Civilization, but anyone who dares to hint as Fallaci more than does about the superiority morally and culturally of Western civilization is called 'racist'. Defining herself as a 'Christian atheist' one who sees how strong a part Christianity has played in the development of Western Civilization she is appalled by the Church's apologetics and sniveling before Islam. From her new home in New York she sees the United States as the last hope of stemming the Islamic tide. At present gravely ill this book may be the swan song of one of the most provocative and courageous of modern journalists.