A champion of Africa, legendary for his good looks, his charm,and his prowess as a soldier, lover, and hunter, Denys Finch Hattoninspired Karen Blixen to write the unforgettable Out of Africa. Nowesteemed British biographer Sara Wheeler tells the truth about thisextraordinarily charismatic adventurer. Born to an old aristocratic family that had gambled away most ofits fortune, Finch Hatton grew up in a world of effortless eleganceand boundless power. In 1910, searching for something new, hearrived in British East Africa and fell in love–with a continent,with a landscape, with a way of life that was about to changeforever. In Nairobi, Finch Hatton met Karen Blixen and embarked onone of the great love affairs of the twentieth century.Intellectual equals, Finch Hatton and Blixen were genuine pioneersin a land that was quickly being transformed by violence, greed,and bigotry. Ever restless, Finch Hatton wandered into a career asa big-game hunter and became an expert bush pilot. Mesmerized allhis li
Told by a former high-level member of the Peoples Temple andJonestown survivor, Seductive Poison is the "trulyunforgettable" ( Kirkus Review ) story of how one woman wasseduced by one of the most notorious cults in recent memory and howshe found her way back to sanity. From Waco to Heaven's Gate, the past decade has seen its share ofcult tragedies. But none has been quite so dramatic or compellingas the Jonestown massacre of 1978, in which the Reverend Jim Jonesand 913 of his disciples perished. Deborah Layton had been a memberof the Peoples Temple for seven years when she departed forJonestown, Guyana, the promised land nestled deep in the SouthAmerican jungle. When she arrived, however, Layton saw thatsomething was seriously wrong. Jones constantly spoke of arevolutionary mass suicide, and Layton knew only too well that hehad enough control over the minds of the Jonestown residents tocarry it out. But her pleas for help--and her sworn affidavit tothe U.S. government--fell on skeptical ears. I
After Out on a Limb , MacLaine now offers more of her familybackground, with reproductions of parental game-playingconversations which must evoke poignant recognitions in children ofconflicting adults. Aided by spirit-guided acupuncture, she hasbeen recovering past-life experiences enabling her to deal withthis pain. Most moving is her meeting with her Higher Self, whichcontinues to guide her. Another colorful love affair in Paris andHollywood provides food for the gossip-column fans. More seriousare her ruminations on creative artistry, first as a dancer, thenas a movie star. Even readers put off by MacLaine's uncritical andwholehearted embrace of reincarnation will have to applaud hercandor and zest for discovering the meaning of her life. Jeanne S.Bagby, Tucson P.L., Ariz. Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information,Inc.
