A compelling investigation of three incidents of torture in the Western world and what they tell us about how ordinary people can become torturers,...
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reviews
Jul 03, 2010
Ed
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A journalistic type account of three instances of torture, two of them carried out by, if not the "ordinary people" of the title, at least people who generally don't cause severe mental or physical pain to punish or get information by someone in their control, which is a shortened version of the definition of torture under the United Nations Torture Convention. Those two take place on the West Bank during the intifada and carried out by members of the IDF and on the south side of Chica
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Apr 18, 2011
Jenn
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Unspeakable Acts, Ordinary People is a riveting book that exposes the potential in each of us for acting unspeakably. John Conroy sits down with torturers from several nations and comes to understand their motivations. His compelling narrative has the tension of a novel. He takes us into a Chicago police station, two villages in the West Bank, and a secret British interrogation center in Northern Ireland, and in the process we are exposed to the experience of the victim, the rationalizations of
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Aug 24, 2011
Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea
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A gripping read. I started it 5 days ago. It's a really intense look at 3 case studies of torture from within "developed" countries: Britain, Israel, and the United States. The author is a great writer and within the first couple pages of the book I was hooked. His analysis is interesting as are the case studies. He does a good job of portraying both the complexity of the issue and the simplicity. He talks to both victims and torturers and looks at a wide variety of sources to tell his
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Aug 08, 2008
Steven
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This book looks at torture both in U.S. and internationally by tracking three cases: the torture of 14 Irish men by the U.K. in Northern Ireland in 1971, the torture by beating of Palestinians near Nablus in 1988 by Israel, and the torture of criminal suspects in the 1970s and 1980s by the Chicago P.D. These become the entryways into how torture arises and is, generally, unchallenged in society. (We have only to look at the U.S. since 9/11.)
The author looks into how ordinary people, wh More...
The author looks into how ordinary people, wh More...
Jan 15, 2012
Sarah G.
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I had to read a few chapters for a class and found that I ended up reading the entire book. the title really speaks for itself. I found it very interesting to read about ordinary people placed in stressful situations and how they took on specific roles. Just as a heads up it is a little graphic when describing the methods of torture.
Jun 05, 2011
Alex
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A little lengthy in parts but overall a well-rounded picture of the double-victimization of the tortured (once by their perpetrators and again by shortcomings of governmental systems)
Mar 10, 2009
Mexiliterate
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where are the damn half stars... i love john conroy. i think he got fired from the chicago reader...
Mar 03, 2009
Sharon
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A very eye-opening novel that shows case studies from the point of views of the victims and the torturers.
Oct 26, 2007
maria
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reading this book, i realized there should be a separate rating for 'enjoyment.' i liked the book; i did not enjoy it. this is a timely and important subject, and the unspeakable acts are just that. the book left me overwhelmed by the human capacity for cruelty.
Nov 02, 2007
Dawn
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For all those people who think they could never be unspeakably cruel to another this is an eye opening look at how is it is torture. It has become especially important in light of the current political climate.
Sep 28, 2007
Michelle
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Makes you appreciate the dumb luck you were born into - these stories of ordinary people being tortured (and torturing others) is incredible.
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