Our Father Who Art in Hell

by James Reston Jr.

book data

3 ratings, 4.00 average rating, 2 reviews (more data...)

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published

March 1981 by Times Books

binding

Hardcover, 338 pages

isbn

0812909631 (isbn13: 9780812909630)

description

This is the definitive work on the Guyana tragedy when on November 18, 1978, one thousand members of the People's Temple cult killed themselves in a G...more

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Maria added it

10/19/08

Just finished this book which was an excellent account of the demise of the People's Temple in Guyana. I'm obviously on a non-fiction cult reading kick and have returned to the Jonestown tragedy after forays into The Children of God, Mormons, Hare Krishnas and Moonies. The sheer insanity and tragic end of Jim Jone's and his followers always leaves me wanting to know more about the enigmatic cult. I've got on order several more out of print books about Jonestown on there way, and will update w...more Just finished this book which was an excellent account of the demise of the People's Temple in Guyana. I'm obviously on a non-fiction cult reading kick and have returned to the Jonestown tragedy after forays into The Children of God, Mormons, Hare Krishnas and Moonies. The sheer insanity and tragic end of Jim Jone's and his followers always leaves me wanting to know more about the enigmatic cult. I've got on order several more out of print books about Jonestown on there way, and will update when I'm finished.

On this particular book I applaud Reston's resistance to sensationalizing the PT and exploring individual stories of members (though I wish he had done more and more in-depth on some individuals). He also did a fabulous radio program on NPR in 1982 entitled "Father Cares: The Last of Jonestown" which uses the hundreds of audio tapes found at Jonestown to weave the story of the temple and its end. (For some reason they chose to not use (only recreate) the famous "death tape" which is an audio recording of the mass suicide in progress. For anyone curious you can now hear the famous tape on the internet audio archive. Years ago a friend of mine got me a DAT tape of the "death tape" during my first interest in JJ and TPT - but its now available for anyone to hear. It apparently originated with an FBI man's son making a copy of it over top of one of his rock tapes - and you can still hear some eerie music that wasn't fully erased in the dubbing. For years many people thought the music was from the PT but it's only old remains from the org. contents of the teenagers tape.) -- Sorry for the digression.
Reston himself was able to travel to Jonestown a few days after the tragedy (the bodies had just been cleared away) and then several weeks later to explore the many rumors of cash stockpiles floating around and other strange events. His insight into JJ personality is interesting. When he tries to investigate the reasons many intelligent people chose, willingly, to continue to follow JJ after he was so obviously mad, dangerous & deluded he is as confused and bewildered as to the why as their families, friends and readers.
I think this is why I continue to read about cults such as TPT. I'm constantly trying to understand what can make large #'s of seemingly rational or unstable (good mix of both) people give themselves over completely to some bizarre cult and/or leader. I'm sure I will continue reading for many years without truly ever totally understanding but it at least educates me on how naive or willing to be lead some people are. Free choice is obviously not a desire for some segment of society. ...less

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Erin rated it:

10/03/07

Read in January, 2005

The title is terrible, although it was the catalyst for an awkward encounter on the subway, when a group of tourist-evangelists, tracts spilling out their shoes, alit at Times Square and surrounded me. The leader (isn't there always one?) immediately took interest in my book, and gamely asked, "So, Our Father who art in hell, eh?" I stared both dumbly and evilly. Anyhoo, this is the best book I've read about the Jonestown massacre, and the author is even a journalist!

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