README.txt (Chelsea Manning)

Chelsea Manning

README.txt

A brilliant account of Chelsea's life and incarceration and release. It's a great mix of her struggles with family and ability to demonstrate her sexuality; life on the edge of society; lifting the lid on how wars are fought by the USA (and presumably other large powers) and her arrest and treatment. I had a tangental brush with Wikileaks in a previous job In some ways an inspirational story that ends with release both from prison and also being able to transition into a woman. On the other hand knowing that what Chelsea revealed is still going on and she was fortunate to get a commutation by Obama. It's unlikely that his successors would have done the same and likely that Chelsea would still be in prison.

Racing Through the Dark (David Millar)

David Millar with Jeremy Whittle

Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar

Published in 2011 so before Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France and other titles and his subsequent admission to doping. Along with others. This gives a heartfelt and fascinating account of David Millar's rise in pro cycling, his descent into doping and subsequent arrest. Then him pulling himself back onto the bike and becoming a vociferous mouthpiece against doping. At times I wonder if he was a much a victim as he makes out but the reality was that you were at a massive disadvantage if you didn't dope. David's actions and words since he was arrested are certainly consistent with him being truly sorry for his doping and much of that because of how he failed his fans, family and friends. A great read combining cycling, doping, personal struggles and the wider context. However, doping and being on the edge of the rules continues to dog cycling including the "clean team" Sky and the accusations of the dishonest use of TUE (banned substances allowed for certain medical conditions). David's dismissal of Bradley Wiggins' chances in the tour seem premature given that he then won it. But again, what was in the jiffy bag? Overall a great read about professional cycling and the ongoing problems it faces. But as David points out, cycling has more testing than any other sport so it's not surprising more dopers are found in cycling. 

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels (Nawal El Saadawi)

Nawal El Saadawi

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels

Three stories about life as a woman in Egypt written in the 70's and I think 80's. The author couldn't publish in Egypt and so I'm not sure if they were written beforehand and published outside Egypt at later dates. I guess I could investigate. The stories are all disturbing and show how badly treated women are in Egypt at least in the part of society that the author describes. Mistreatment and rape are covered the latter in an oblique although certain manner which I assume was needed when published otherwise could face wider bans for being supposedly salacious. The stories are all in a different in style too. God Dies By The Nile is a sorry story about male dominance, rape and pregnancy facilitated by the power wielded by local authority figures, the submissive nature of the general population and the non existent rights of women. It's well written very descriptively in a traditional narrative way. Searching is a strange tale of a woman trying to find her lover who has simply disappeared and who has a dead end job. Her education drives her to strive for a better and more interesting life. The Circling Song is a disturbing story of the rape of a child and the father setting the twin son to go after her with the intent of an honour killing due to the disgrace of her being pregnant. Her flight to Cairo is met with similarly horrific treatment. Up until now the narrative is fairly traditional but then the story goes into a bit of a strange non-narrative stream of consciousness a bit like Kerouac or Joyce. You get the gist of what's going on but the story line is hard to follow and maybe you're not meant to as the two children, for that's what they really are, merge into one and the same. All are interesting and as I say disturbing. I won't comment on the social and religious forces that allow these stories to continue to mirror real life as I am not from that society and my views on any religion would offend many. Suffice to say that the author was stripped of a prestigious career post due to her writing and activism, was imprisoned and then forced to flee Egypt as her life was in danger. A truly brave woman in stark contrast to those who she railed against.