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

by Kate Coleman

Book Overview

In l990, a car bomb in Oakland almost killed radical Earth First! leader Judi Bari and her passenger, a co-leader and onetime lover, Darryl Cherney. The FBI accused the pair of transporting the explosive device knowingly as part of a violent campaign of ecotage. From her hospital bed, Bari charged that the timber interests of Northern California and the FBI had tried to kill her. The car bomb and the competing conspiracy theories about who was responsible...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1893554740
• ISBN13: 9781893554740
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Encounter Books
• Length: 261 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Great Book, Fair and Informative

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

compelling!

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.

Blinded by the Left

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.

Fascinating

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.

Even the "good guys" are human

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.