Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt

Reviews / Votes

"Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt is a harrowing account of the exploited American underclass... It is their stories that shape Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt to be a mesmeric indictment of an America that has failed its populace... From the title alone it is evident that neither Hedges nor Sacco remain objective or shy away from the palpable condemnation of capitalism and the American government. Regardless, they develop an accurate account of the despondency that plagues and divides American culture. This is an imperative read in an era where widespread economic depression and grief reign supreme... Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt is powerful and remarkable, arguably one of the best publications of the year." Ecolocalizer.com "One of the most significant books published this year." Winnipeg Free Press (Canada) "This is an important book." Ed Garvey, Garvey Blog "It is a fascinating journey... This book hit me in the gut. It will move you to engage in battle." Caffeinated Muslim "[R]ead Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt to know what is happening in this country." The Stranger (Seattle) "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt is a journey through contemporary American misery and what can be done to change the course, interpreted through the eyes of two of today's most relevant literary journalists... The graphics illustrate what words alone cannot, capturing a past as it's told, where there's no longer anything left to photograph." Public Books "[T]he radical disjunction between how Hedges and Sacco approach their subjects is fascinating and instructive. Hedges is at ease with the grand, sweeping Howard Zinn--moments of matchbook history... And if sweeping, historical connect-the-dots is your cup of tea, then you will find Hedges deeply moving. But if, like Sacco, you distrust all history that does not have a face, a name, and a voice behind it, you will find more to call you to action in the voices that speak from the decimated landscapes of America's deepest poverty, which we (like Dickens's "telescopic philanthropists") know even less well than we do the sufferings of peoples halfway around the world. Together, Sacco and Hedges might just have created a form that can speak across divides unbridgeable without the supplement of graphic narrative." Ian Chant, Geekosystem "As someone who's long been a fan of Sacco's international reporting, there's something truly jarring about seeing him turn his eye to the many Americans who are suffering and barely getting by... [H]ighly recommended for anyone who wants to see the comics medium at its strongest and most human." The Capital Times "[B]rilliant." - Joe Gross, Austin American-Statesman "...a bleak, fist-shaking look at the effects of global capitalism in the United States." Globe and Mail (Canada) "This is a book that should warm the hearts of political activists such as Naomi Klein or the nonagenerian Pete Seeger. And cause apoplexy among the Tea Party and its fellow travellers... Sure, it's a polemic, but it's a polemic with a human face." LiteraryOutpost.com "Hedges gives us the commentary, the narrative; Joe Sacco provides us with a piece of graphic nonfiction to give us a visual. The combination is excellent and telling." PopMatters.com "The stories shift seamlessly from Hedges's passionate, on-the-ground reporting to Sacco's intricate landscapes and humanizing portraits, penned with the kind of fine, stark detail that is often lost in a photograph... Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt is a gripping and thoroughly researched polemic." By the Book Reviews "Chris Hedges... is the journalistic master of demonstrative evidence and never more so than in this book... Using the stark, black-and-white style of graphic novels, [Joe] Sacco presents... illustrations which, if they don't break your heart you're not really worthy of having one... You will want to read this one." Kirkus (Starred Review) "An unabashedly polemic, angry manifesto that is certain to open eyes, intensify outrage and incite argument about corporate greed... Through immersion reportage and graphic narrative, the duo illuminate the human and environmental devastation in those communities, with the warning that no one is immune... A call for a new American revolution, passionately proclaimed." San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review "This searing indictment of our unsustainable society is unsettling. To keep our chance for dignity, we must do our part to champion the organizers and whistleblowers, committee members and protesters. Amen. Pass the word." Toward Freedom "[H]arrowing descriptions... Hedges tells the story, not only of the people but of the town, and despite the differences in setting, certain similarities show through: poverty, addiction, violence; but more than that, a long series of broken promises and mounting despair. Sacco illustrates these chapters with his distinctive, careful line drawings... [A]n excellent piece of journalism -- engaging, troubling, and in its own way, beautiful." Star-Ledger "As quixotic as the quest may seem, Days of Destruction brings the rhetoric and the reality into a nobler focus after a very disturbing tour." Midwest Book Review/California Bookwatch "A powerful social and political exploration." Brooklyn Rail, Sept 2012 "Sacco brings his formidable skill to bear in Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt." Asbury Park Press Boston Globe "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt (Nation) is as moving a portrait of poverty and as compelling a call to action as Michael Harrington's 'The Other America,' published in 1962." Philadelphia Weekly "The tales therein--both the intimate personal ones and the big sociopolitical ones--are as unsettling as they are impossible to put down." Metro (UK) "Eloquently written and embellished by spare, desolate drawings from Joe Sacco, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt is accessible and deeply uncomfortable." Financial Times "[A] growling indictment of corporate America." Bookslut "Hedges carries the mantle of Upton Sinclair, Howard Zinn, George Orwell, and all the agitators in fighting for the soul of nations when so many have forgotten what that means. His eloquence is in the eloquence of the lives he presents, and Sacco lovingly animates them. It's rare that a book carries so much courage and conviction, forcing reflection and an urge to immediately rectify the problems." Associated Press "... a scorching look at communities burned out not by foreign bombs but by American capitalism." Denver Post "...a unique hybrid of investigative journalism, graphic novel and polemic." Guardian (UK) "...a heartfelt, harrowing picture of post-capitalist America." Ralph Nader "[B]rilliant combination of prose and graphic comics." Seattle Times "The book is a primer for every American who is overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the stock market, who wonders where America's muscle went, and how much heavy lifting our kids will face." -- Portland Mercury "As a portrait of poverty, the book succeeds stunningly well." Barnes and Noble Review "When their narrative culminates in Zucotti Park, readers will feel just as outraged as the protesters portrayed on the page." Straight.com (Canada) "The scenes in [Hedges'] new book, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, unflinchingly depict the pockets of America in the worst shape, with the highest unemployment, poverty, and crime rates." WarIsACrime.org "[A] treasure." Grantland "...provides close accounts of some of the country's most devastated communities, "sacrifice zones." It ends with a detailed history of the Occupy protests and a declaration that "the mighty can fall." Portland Monthly magazine "Days of Destruction is a riveting indictment of America's failures." Seattle Times "The book is a primer for every American who is overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the stock market, who wonders where America's muscle went, and how much heavy lifting our kids will face." Bill Moyers "The journalist Chris Hedges is a unique force today, because of his fierce independence and candor. He's been writing about how politics is a charade aimed at making voters think the personal narrative of the candidate is the story although it never affects the operation of the corporate state. No matter which candidate wins, the money power in Washington reigns. That nails it, don't you think?" New York Times Book Review "Sacco's sections are uniformly brilliant. The tone is controlled, the writing smart, the narration neutral... This is an important book." Brooklyn Rail Rapid Transit, Oct 2012 "Days of Destruction Days of Revolt examines how corruption and greed have shaped the history of the United States in an unfortunate way... This is an excellent book for those who actually need a reason to revolt, and should be read by anyone seeking public office." Book Group Buzz, Booklist Online"Be prepared for an emotional experience without a happy ending. Be prepared to be defensive. Be prepared to be angry. Be prepared to be ashamed... [T]he book is accompanied by sections that area a graphic novel approach to the individual stories of the real people interviewed in these zones of despair. What is so overpowering, and discussable, in these biographies is that they read as much like a confessional as they do a history... Can there be anything more important to discuss?" OpEdNews.com"This is indeed an extraordinary, must read book." 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