Desmond Tutu: Rabble-Rouser for Peace: The Authorized Biography - Softcover

Allen, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1556527985 ISBN 13: 9781556527982

Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books, 2008

Synopsis

Written by a distinguished journalist and longtime associate of Desmond Tutu, this definitive biography captures the flavor and details of Tutu’s life while shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of modern society. Drawing on personal experiences with Tutu, as well as unprecedented access to his papers, this account explores how Tutu transformed from a barefoot schoolboy in a deprived black township into an international symbol of the democratic spirit and religious faith. During face-to-face confrontations with South African leaders and violent protests in the streets, Tutu maintained his faith in the power of peace, and when appointed to head the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Tutu seized upon it as an instrument of healing and redemption. Through his moral example and his lyrical command of language, he has successfully appealed to the conscience of the world and brought a whole new meaning to the phrase "human rights."

About this title

About the Author:

John Allen is a journalist and the managing editor of the African news website www.allAfrica.com. He served as director of communications for South Africa's groundbreaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for Trinity Church, Wall Street, in New York. He is a former president of the South African Society of Journalists and has received awards in South Africa for his defense of press freedom and in the United States for excellence in religious journalism.

Review:

"Gives remarkable insights into how Tutu's spiritual worldview and discipline molded him into the preeminent religious leader in South Africa's struggle against racism and a passionate advocate of human rights internationally."  —Jimmy Carter

"There is no one on earth who will not profit from reading this story, told with such precision, sympathy, and mounting dramatic tension by John Allen. But don't bother to pick it up unless you are willing to be transformed into a better person than you are at the present moment."  —Thomas Cahill, author, Desire of the Everlasting Hills, The Gifts of the Jews, and How the Irish Saved Civilization

"Riveting . . . a profound portrait of one of the few great human beings of our age and of the country he did so much to save. [Allen] shows Archbishop Tutu in all his courage, his uproarious humor, his passion."  —Anthony Lewis, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner; former New York Times columnist; author, Gideon's Trumpet

"Connects the publicly political Tutu to the privately spiritual one, showing the seamless flow from one to the other . . . [Allen's] reporting is impeccable."  —The Baltimore Sun

About this edition

• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1556527985
• ISBN 13: 9781556527982
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496