Andrea Galli

This is an interesting book but ultimately I don't think author managed to achieve what he set as his goal.

Where does the story succeed - author shows how troubling entire area from Italy, over Balkans all the way to Georgia (in Caucasus not US) is. Struck by various juntas, organized crime and terrorism (Italy and Greece even in the period of Cold War, Albania under the Hoxa's dictatorship and rest of Balkans since the 1990's and brutal wars in the area) this was left by the powers as constantly simmering world hot-spot, with paramilitaries moving and joining wars in near Asia or Middle East, wherever required. Gun smuggling, people smuggling, contraband smuggling, assassinations and recruiting by various world powers - this is what marks this part of the world, especially area around Black Sea where Europe, Asia and routes to Middle East meet. In here with almost constant influx of what is popularly called disenfranchised people, refugees and orphans various crime and war lords recruit for their own ranks. It takes very little to buy allegiance and loyalty and train people to become foot soldiers and if need be point men and assassins for their masters using not only light weaponry but also military grade explosives and weapons (I shudder when I just think what sorts of weapons found their way to these shady organizations in last year or so).

All of this is again eased up by constant meddling of various world intelligence and security services that continue to provide training and weapons to people like this to advance their own goals and by thinking that when not needed all the skills and gear will just disappear. Of course this does not happen. When left without control, forces that prove themselves as useful for whatever wars and conflicts in this area cannot go back, there is nowhere to reintegrate so they move to serve those that can provide them with new wars, new conflicts and meaning of life. Reason is simple - once in, you cannot escape this life ever again. Imagine becoming a symbol of someone who managed to survive and escape this way of life - that cannot be allowed. This is what happens to a assassin, Iulian, Albanian refugee to Greece that ends up in early age recruited by Georgian crime syndicate in Solun, Greece. They see him as a person that kills easily, does not get bothered by it and thus would make an excellent assassin for the syndicate. Book then describes Iulian's life, from poor slums of Albania, hazardous escape to Greece with his father, life as a petty criminal and recruitment into Georgian crime syndicate. We are given view of his training, which is paramilitary in all aspects, how crime always goes hand in hand with the shadowy intelligence and security apparatus, his most known killings and finally the fall.

Where does it fail (in my opinion) - first I am not sure if eponymous assassin is a true historical person or amalgamation of several assassins that operate(d) in these troubled parts of the world. Book is written in narrative style that is very reminiscent of gonzo journalism - author describes all of the events, political situations, crime infestation, corruption and police in a very subjective way - everything is dirty and gritty, trust me after reading few chapters I had an urge to clean around me. Description of politicians, and public figures ..... author describes them very vividly as dirty old men, lustful for underage kids (boys and girls, does not matter) and willing to kill their opposition and work with the known crime syndicates to achieve their goals. This left a little bit .... bad taste in my mouth? I mean if your only information about this region comes from this book you would think that only thing you will ever see are black flags, bloodied pikes with heads on them and everything turned to flame as far as you can see. Trust me it is not like that. There are definitely crime syndicates and where they dominate it is terrible but they do not act in overt, but more in covert/shady way - it is better not to get near these areas but they do not control everything. Wars from the 1990's left their impression and they are still felt in politician's rhetoric but they do not rule the majority. As for the unrest and terrorism it was always present in these areas (whenever they say that some country needs to defeat organized crime to enter EU, I remember that EU members are Italy and Greece (as in original, pre 1990's, members) and I laugh out loud - two countries that must be two most unstable both politically and socially and with high level of crime and linked political corruption and terrorism in Europe in general).

One thing to keep in mind is that in these, especially southern parts of Balkans, family and clans are societal base, especially in rural areas. Blood feud (what Italians would call vendetta) is very common so adoption into crime syndicates that govern by the same rules as family clans is I guess not something that is alien to their members. It is same situation as in southern parts of Italy.

So for me this part was a failure for the book - instead of concentrating on the actual social elements of organized crime in this region author paints a rather bombastic picture of the area. As I said very like gonzo journalism works. I think this is a missed opportunity here.

Second is way story meanders - story is not linear in nature, it goes back and forth and this again bludgeons the "edge" - ending is just ..... poof, the end. For me rather unsatisfying. Again, I can see this to be a direct result of semi-fictitious nature of the book but in any case author could have created a more satisfying end. Way it is written it seems like the story is left incomplete.

So in general this would be 3.5 stars. I gave it plus half star for a very interesting overview of political situation, crime and terrorism in this part of world (for example, I was not aware of wave of terrorism in Greece in 2000's, nor was I aware that Malmoe in Sweden is basically turned into Northern European Solun).

Interesting book, but as I mentioned it has its own set of problems. If you are interested in tight links between politics, political terrorism and organized crime in this area linking Europe, Asia and Middle East, I wholeheartedly recommend it.… (mer)

Fede & Ragione. L'eterno conflitto tra due identità, il tema di questo libro, scritto in una forma impropria: l'intervista. Mi rendo conto che nella mente sia dell'autore che dell'editore premeva l'intenzione di coinvolgere quanti più lettori possibili ad acquistarlo. Ma l'identità umana e l'identità religiosa non sono fatte per muoversi sullo stesso piano, pur appartenendo a tutti gli uomini.

Sia l'una che l'altra costituiscono, infatti, le ragioni del credere e del pensare in maniera individuale e soggettiva la propria esistenza. Si crea pertanto una situazione paradossale conflittuale. La verità è che con la ragione non si può spiegare la fede, così come la fede non ha nulla da condividere con la ragione.

Un tema così difficile non doveva essere trattato alla leggera, come di solito si fa in una intervista. Fatto è che l'illustre intervistato nelle sue risposte non si comporta come in genere parla un intervistato per un articolo di giornale. Nelle sue domande l'autore del libro si sforza di mettersi dalla parte di chi legge,cercando di porre domande all'altezza dei suoi interessi e capacità di comprensione. Ma non sempre ci riesce in quanto le risposte che il Cardinale Ruini dà non sono semplici nè tanto meno superficiali.

Le sue risposte non sono risposte religiose. Toccano sì, la religione ma in pratica si parla di filosofia, di teologia, di storia, di etica, di politica. Insomma, c'è una trasversalità culturale quanto mai ampia e profonda che fa della lettura un impegno per chi legge che va ben oltre una informale intervista. Prova ne sono i tanti libri a cui il libro fa riferimento nella ricca ed abbondante bibliografia che correda il volume.

Non sono un religioso, un filosofo, un teologo, sono soltanto un uomo comune che cerca di essere aiutato ad avere una fede senza fare a meno della ragione. Mi sembra che sia il giornalista che il cardinale non abbiano fatto molto per aiutarmi in questo mio intento di lettura. Colpa senza dubbio della mia ignoranza e sopratutto del fatto che ho letto il "libro-intervista" in versione Kindle.

Argomenti come questi vanno affrontati in maniera tradizionale, con il libro cartaceo. Devi avere tra le mani l'oggetto del contendere che poi non è cosa di poco conto se consideriamo che sono in gioco la realtà della nostra esistenza, le ragioni del perchè della nostra venuta al mondo e quelle della nostra altrettanto inspiegabile uscita.… (mer)