<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: "Long Live the Counter Culture."
Review: "How It All Began" is the highly personal account of one man's journey into terrorism. Author Bommi Baumann charts his career as a leading West German urban guerilla beginning in the mid 60s. This slim volume was published in 1975, and the copies were seized by the West German police. The book's publication was interpreted as "support of punishable acts." Baumann's book--it seems--upset both the government and also some terrorist groups. The publisher then emerged with a second edition of the book--supported by some big name co-publishers (including Jean Paul Sartre), and "How It All Began" was sold in Europe. This book is not an examination of West German terrorism; it's Baumann's story of what led him into joining a fringe group, how the group turned to violence, and why his involvement ended. The author was arrested in Britain in 1981 and then incarcerated in a Berlin prison. At the time of the book's publication (reprinted in 2000) there was no further information available about the author.
Baumann presents no apologies and few regrets. At the same time, he doesn't place blame either. Instead, Baumann explains why he became a terrorist in the first place, and he does this rather well. He argues that there are recognizable steps towards becoming a terrorist, and it begins with a feeling of not belonging. Baumann argues, one is somehow or another "pushed into the position of an outcast." From this position, the future terrorist identifies with an oppressed group or outcasts, and then connects with people who share similar beliefs. Political beliefs change or are solidified by reading political texts. Baumann also argues quite eloquently and without pretense--that becoming a terrorist leads to pressure to achieve within the terrorist organization and eventually an even greater isolation. He explores his acceptance of violence, and argues that adding violence seemed a perfectly normal progression "violence is a completely spontaneous thing that you can unroll quite easily." Baumann charts his growth as a terrorist from the SDS to K1 (an experiment in collective living), the J2 Movement, the Roaming Hash Rebels, and the organization of the Central Committee (Berlin Blues). This is all quite fascinating reading. Baumann's tone is one of naked honesty, and he even tackles his post-terrorism position. He acknowledges mistakes made along the way (the incompetence of some bomb plantings, for example), the environment which inevitably creates informers from within, conflict with the RAF, and the life of an urban guerilla in a third world country vs. a "settled European capital." In spite of the fact that Baumann was deeply entrenched into many social aspects of the 60s (and this affected his attitude towards terrorism) the book does not seem dated at all. His story remains surprisingly fresh and genuine--whether or not you agree with his politics. Some passages have a powerful impact, as the topics covered seem all-too familiar today, 30 years later. That said, I recommend some background reading before attempting this book. While it does contain an extremely helpful chronology of events, if the reader has no background on the subject of West German terrorism, this book will be confusing and less relevant as a result--displaced human
Rating:
Summary: "Long Live the Counter Culture."
Review: "How It All Began" is the highly personal account of one man's journey into terrorism. Author Bommi Baumann charts his career as a leading West German urban guerilla beginning in the mid 60s. This slim volume was published in 1975, and the copies were seized by the West German police. The book's publication was interpreted as "support of punishable acts." Baumann's book--it seems--upset both the government and also some terrorist groups. The publisher then emerged with a second edition of the book--supported by some big name co-publishers (including Jean Paul Sartre), and "How It All Began" was sold in Europe. This book is not an examination of West German terrorism; it's Baumann's story of what led him into joining a fringe group, how the group turned to violence, and why his involvement ended. The author was arrested in Britain in 1981 and then incarcerated in a Berlin prison. At the time of the book's publication (reprinted in 2000) there was no further information available about the author.
Baumann presents no apologies and few regrets. At the same time, he doesn't place blame either. Instead, Baumann explains why he became a terrorist in the first place, and he does this rather well. He argues that there are recognizable steps towards becoming a terrorist, and it begins with a feeling of not belonging. Baumann argues, one is somehow or another "pushed into the position of an outcast." From this position, the future terrorist identifies with an oppressed group or outcasts, and then connects with people who share similar beliefs. Political beliefs change or are solidified by reading political texts. Baumann also argues quite eloquently and without pretense--that becoming a terrorist leads to pressure to achieve within the terrorist organization and eventually an even greater isolation. He explores his acceptance of violence, and argues that adding violence seemed a perfectly normal progression "violence is a completely spontaneous thing that you can unroll quite easily." Baumann charts his growth as a terrorist from the SDS to K1 (an experiment in collective living), the J2 Movement, the Roaming Hash Rebels, and the organization of the Central Committee (Berlin Blues). This is all quite fascinating reading. Baumann's tone is one of naked honesty, and he even tackles his post-terrorism position. He acknowledges mistakes made along the way (the incompetence of some bomb plantings, for example), the environment which inevitably creates informers from within, conflict with the RAF, and the life of an urban guerilla in a third world country vs. a "settled European capital." In spite of the fact that Baumann was deeply entrenched into many social aspects of the 60s (and this affected his attitude towards terrorism) the book does not seem dated at all. His story remains surprisingly fresh and genuine--whether or not you agree with his politics. Some passages have a powerful impact, as the topics covered seem all-too familiar today, 30 years later. That said, I recommend some background reading before attempting this book. While it does contain an extremely helpful chronology of events, if the reader has no background on the subject of West German terrorism, this book will be confusing and less relevant as a result--displaced human
Rating:
Summary: going to the left
Review: Great book describing how a disgrutled german youth goes from being a grumbler to a bomb thrower. he goes from vandalizing expensive cars yelling "walk to work" to bombing police stations. well written, first person account interview style. it drives me nuts it's so hard to find. last time i interlibrary loaned it it came from ten states away. anyone who knows which way the wind blows needs to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Destroying What Destroys You
Review: Great book describing how a disgrutled german youth goes from being a grumbler to a bomb thrower. he goes from vandalizing expensive cars yelling "walk to work" to bombing police stations. well written, first person account interview style. it drives me nuts it's so hard to find. last time i interlibrary loaned it it came from ten states away. anyone who knows which way the wind blows needs to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Destroying What Destroys You
Review: Perhaps one of the most important nonfiction books of the Cold War, "How It All Began" is the rare story from the terrorist's unapologetic point of view. The June 2nd Movement that Michael Baumann took part in and writes about was a product of its times; its members were bored students and hippies, tired of the paranoia of a culture focused solely on not being communist. In 1969, news of American college rebellions and "love-ins" flowed into Germany and ignited a youth culture. At the same time, news of wars and global chaos ignited youth activism. The young Germans who objected to the Vietnam war did so as strongly as their counterparts in the States--though, of course, to even lesser effect. Baumann writes that the resulting frustration made it easy to protest a little more strongly against the status quo, to take more aggressive actions. Vandalism here, arson there--and frighteningly soon, loose groups became tight-knit commando cells; students like Baumann became specialists in bomb-building, napalm, and burglary. The West German government was only too happy to match the terrorist actions with raids, secret police tactics, beatings, and torture. Who was right? No one, of course; in a society where people have learned to respond to violence with more violence, then questions of motive and justification soon fall by the wayside. The motto of Baumann's movement, "destroy what destroys you," perfectly characterizes the irony of the situation, describing a viscous circle that entraps all of the combatants. The idea that Baumann would eventually walk away from all this, that he could found more promise in love than in hate, is the most remarkable part of the book. It's not a novel idea, of course, except that it's real remorse, real willingness towards good coming from a mire of confused evil. All of this actually happened. So cliche or not, I was glad to rediscover that good can win, that people can change--and I was glad to find this book. I won't debate whether this book is relevant to today. Personally, I think it is. Note: Baumann was arrested in London in 1981. There is no record of him anywhere after that date. He effectively disappeared.
<< 1 >>
|
