Raven (book)

Infobox Book
name = Raven
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Front cover
author = Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
subject = Destructive cults
Mass suicide
genre = Nonfiction
publisher = E.F. Dutton, Inc.
release_date = October 1, 1982
english_release_date =
media_type = Hardback (first ed.)
pages = 622
isbn = ISBN 0525241361
oclc = 7837655
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People" details the life and ultimate demise of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. Written by journalist Tim Reiterman, the book reviews the history of the Peoples Temple. The book includes numerous interviews, audio tapes and documents among its hundreds of sources.cite book | last =Reiterman | first =Tim | coauthors =John Jacobs | title =Raven: The Untold Story of Reverend Jim Jones and His People | publisher =Dutton | date =1982 | pages =581-610 | isbn = 0-525-24136-1]

The book received generally positive reception. Separate reviews in the "San Francisco Chronicle", the "San Francisco Examiner", and Associated Press each characterized "Raven" as the "definitive" book on Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. The book was recognized with the Thomas Thompson PEN Award for nonfiction in 1983.

Background

In addition to covering the Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple in articles in the "San Francisco Examiner", Reiterman also accompanied Congressman Leo Ryan on his November 1978 investigative trip to Jonestown.cite news | last =Sheeley | first =Rachel E. | title =Jonestown: 25 Years Later | work =Palladium-Item | date =November 16, 2003|page=7A ] While Reiterman was shot, he survived the Peoples Temple's attack on Ryan's delegation at an airstrip in Guyana.cite news | last =Robertson | first =Jordan | title =Two Documentaries Revisit Jonestown | work =Associated Press | date =April 23, 2006 ]

Research

During the course of his research for the book, Reiterman traveled to Indiana and visited locations where Jim Jones grew up and conducted interviews with local residents who knew him.

Contents

The book describes the events that occurred in Jonestown, Guyana, where over 900 people lost their lives, which constituted the largest loss of American civilian life outside of natural disasters in United States history until the events of September 11, 2001. [cite news | last =Rapaport | first =Richard | title =Jonestown and City Hall slayings eerily linked in time and memory | work =San Francisco Chronicle | date =November 16, 2003 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/11/16/INGEM3070J1.DTL&type=printable | accessdate = 2008-09-19] The book further describes the investigation and death of Congressman Ryan, who became the first and only Congressman killed in the line of duty in United States history. [cite news | last =Brazil | first =Jeff | title =Jonestown's Horror Fades but Mystery Remain | work =Los Angeles Times | date =December 16, 1999 ]

Reception

In 1983, "Raven" was recognized with the Thomas Thompson PEN Award for nonfiction. [cite news | last =Staff | title =John Jacobs; Columnist, Award-Winning Author | work =Los Angeles Times | page =B8 | date =May 25, 2000 | url =http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/25/local/me-33886 | accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] [cite news | last =Sward | first =Susan | title =John Jacobs -- Political Writer, Big-Hearted Man | work =San Francisco Chronicle | page =C2 | publisher =The Chronicle Publishing Co | date =May 25, 2000 ] Marshall Kilduff of the "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote highly of the book and recommended it in a 2007 summer reading list: "This stands as the definitive history of Jim Jones and his bizarre Peoples Temple."cite news | last =Kilduff | first =Marshall | title =Personal Perspective: A summer reading list | work =San Francisco Chronicle | page =B6 | date =July 2, 2007 ] Rob Morse of the "San Francisco Examiner" wrote: "The book is so definitive, it's tough going. It has no cheap thrills, just depressing shivers."cite news | last =Morse | first =Rob | title =The Truth Is Even Further Out There | work =San Francisco Examiner | page =A1 | date =March 28, 1997 ] In a review for the Associated Press, Lisa Levitt called the book "the most comprehensive of the dozen written since Jones directed his followers in an orgy of suicide and murder",cite news | last =Levitt | first =Lisa | title =Jim Jones: Resurrected In Book Four Years After Guyana Tragedy | work =Associated Press | date =November 17, 1982 ] and in a subsequent article about Jonestown reiterated her position, and referred to the book as the "definitive book on Jones and Peoples Temple". [cite news | last =Ryckman | first =Lisa Levitt (Associated Press) | coauthors = | title =A Jonestown Story - Tragedy in Guyana | work =Sun-Sentinel | page =1G | publisher =Sun-Sentinel Company | date =November 13, 1988 ]

The book received a positive review in "Library Journal", and reviewer Barbara Conaty wrote: "This compelling, brutally convincing account is unlikely to be surpassed."cite journal|last=Conaty|first=Barbara | title =Raven | journal =Library Journal | volume =107 | pages =1890 | date =October 1, 1982 ] Barbara Bright of "The New York Times Book Review" described the book as a "powerfully written and well-researched book, documenting a peculiarly American tragedy".cite journal|last=Bright|first=Barbara | title =Raven | journal =The New York Times Book Review | volume =88 | pages =9 | date =December 26, 1982|publisher=The New York Times Company ] A review in "Choice" called the book "Good supplementary reading for a number of college courses, and valuable for general adult reading, it is strongly recommended for all libraries," and commented "Reiterman's methods and sources are sufficiently described to certify Raven as a serious work."cite journal | title =Raven | journal =CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries|volume=20 | pages =1007 | date =March 1, 1983 ISSN|0009-4978] Herbert A. Michelson of "The Sacramento Bee" described "Raven" as : "a critically acclaimed study of the Peoples Temple". [cite news | last =Michelson | first =Herbert A. | title =New Trial To Begin In Jonestown Killings | work =The Sacramento Bee | page =B5 | date =September 17, 1986 ]

Bob MacDonald of "The Boston Globe" characterized the book as an "excellent inquiry" into the deaths at Jonestown.cite news | last =MacDonald | first =Bob | title =Review Book A Look Back At Jonestown Mass Suicide | work =The Boston Globe | publisher =Globe Newspaper Company | date =November 18, 1982 ] In a review in "National Review", David Evanier wrote: "Raven does not explain Jones ... But through its accumulation of excellent details, he is understood by the book's end, without apology, exaggeration, superfluous information, or psychoanalysis."cite journal | last =Evanier | first =David | title =Raven | journal =National Review | volume =34 | pages =428-430 | date =April 16, 1982 ] Jordan Robertson of the Associated Press called "Raven" the "seminal book on the Peoples Temple". [cite news | last=Robertson|first=Jordan (Associated Press) | title =Revisiting Jonestown, at long last | work =The Star-Ledger | page =22| date =April 25, 2006 ] Writing for the "San Francisco Chronicle", Michael Taylor characterized the work as an "exhaustive study", [cite news | last =Taylor | first =Michael | title =Jones Captivated S.F.'s Liberal Elite - They were late to discover how cunningly he curried favor | work =San Francisco Chronicle | page =A1 | publisher =The Chronicle Publishing Co. | date =November 12, 1998 ] and Stephen G. Bloom of the "Sacramento Bee" called it "an exhaustive biography of Jim Jones". [cite news | last =Bloom | first =Stephen G. | title ='I Wanted To Believe; I Felt Ecstasy At Peoples Temple,' Survivor Recalls - 10 Years After 913 Died, Jonestown Still Mystery | work =Sacramento Bee | page =A1 | date =November 13, 1988 ]

"Raven" has been used as a reference in other books discussing the events surrounding Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Henry Warner Bowden used the book as a reference in the entry on Jim Jones in "Dictionary of American Religious Biography". [cite book | last =Bowden | first =Henry Warner | title =Dictionary of American Religious Biography: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged | publisher =Greenwood Publishing Group | date =1993 | pages =276-277 | isbn =0313278253 ] Harold Barrett utilized "Raven" as a reference in his book "Rhetoric and Civility", and described it as "a thorough, highly detailed and documented account". [cite book | last =Barrett | first =Harold | title =Rhetoric and Civility: Human Development, Narcissism, and the Good Audience | publisher =SUNY Press | date =1991 | pages =176 | isbn = 0791404838] Eugene V. Gallagher and W. Michael Ashcraft referenced the book in their work "Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America", where they referred to it as "an engaging journalistic account". [cite book | last =Gallagher | first =Eugene V. | coauthors =W. Michael Ashcraft | title =Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America | publisher =Greenwood Publishing Group | date =2006 | pages =113 | isbn = 0275987124]

References

External links

* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/jonestown/filmmore/pt.html| "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple"] , PBS, 2007 (includes Reiterman interview clips)