rave reviews anyone, for Oath????

raeshad · Post time 12-12-2005 09:48 AM

hey...just wanna shout out to anyone who've read The Oath by Khassan Baiev, cowritten by Nicholas, and Ruth Daniloff... am supposed to make a review for it, and it's due Jan.... to me, the book's just great - when i picked it up, i was afraid that it might contain some so - extremely Islamic view of the war in Chechya, but it's doesn't... Baiev - a Chechen born doctor who treated both russian and chechen leaders are now residing in US..asylum....both russia n chechnya were putting him as their no 1 cop's list...coz betraying the country..ironic ain't it? nehow....can somebody out there give me some input? what should i emphasise when i write the review? seribulan? ..anyone???

[ Last edited by raeshad at 22-1-2008 09:12 AM ]

seribulan · Post time 12-12-2005 11:04 AM

Originally posted by raeshad at 12-12-2005 09:48 AM
nehow....can somebody out there give me some input? what should i emphasise when i write the review? seribulan? ..anyone???

:cak

'm goint to give you the classical feminine excuse...I'm
feeling faint now...

sorry..that is the truth n another truth is I haven't yet read the book...will
help you if I managed to read it...

raeshad · Post time 12-12-2005 10:10 PM

ha ha...that's hillarious....he he..

thanks neway...

Greenbottle3 · Post time 12-12-2005 11:15 PM

reshad;

i have not heard of this book but what's the issue? if you need to review it you must review it FROM YOUR ANGLE...there should not be a preconcieved idea...and should not be any self cencorship....
on your part..

why are you afraid of 'extreme islamic view'?

i personally LOVE extreme islamic view.... and i love shamil besayaev and all those 'extremists' who are fighting soviet stooges and soviet occupation in chechnya...

raeshad · Post time 13-12-2005 09:16 AM

ok...sorry dear mr greenbottle 3...

u should read it...here...just go to the official website for the book, and u decide urself...

The Oath

as for the review? he he....ok..should've rephrased that to - have anyone else read the book, if so, what do u think of it?...

coz, i iwanna have a general idea of what others think of the book...? see?

for the extremists? i'm just quoting from Dr Baiev himself - "for the general population, what most of us want is only peace....to be able to continue about our daily life, without fear for getting kidnapped by kontraktniki(=russian thugs who were released from prison to help the Russian's 'army'...), and to walk at nights securely without having to fear for the snipers that can kill anyone, at anytime..."

i mean, that's what Baiev told us.....and, was i afraid for extreme islamic view?

i'm sorry greenbottle3, but aint it naive for u to say that u personally LOVE extreme islamic view..in regards with the situations in Chechnya?

raeshad · Post time 13-12-2005 09:31 AM

here we have you - dear mr greenbottle3, who are typing these words happily in front of ur screen, and there was Baiev himself..treating patients with their left arm hanging down, by a child whose legs were blown up by mines...

as Baiev told - "imagining a war when you have never experienced it is impossible" :stp:

raeshad · Post time 13-12-2005 09:32 AM

Praise for THE OATH

"Spectacular...Khassan Baiev's autobiographical tale of his work as a field surgeon in both Chechen wars, provides not only a detailed account of the effects of modern warfare on its victims, but also a story of a Caucasian coming-of-age in the old USSR, where Baiev studied medicine in Siberia. His story is particularly valuable for the way it traces the evolution of his own perceptions of the fight against the Russians."
—Christian Cary, New York Review of Books

"The human element is foremost in Khassan Baiev's The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire. This powerful book offers a case study of the Kremlin's past and present efforts to crush the most stubborn of all nations in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, the Chechens. Baiev's work is a truly epic tale of his efforts to run a hospital in a Chechen village during the two Russo-Chechen wars that have dragged on throughout the last decade but for a respite between 1996 and 1999. By telling the background story of his upbringing as a distrusted Chechen in the USSR and his subsequent efforts to run a village hospital during the Chechen conflicts, Baiev brings his people's story to life."
—Transitions Online

"Revealing and fascinating...Exceptional...The description of Baiev's departure to New York from the Moscow airport, where he was stoppd, interrogated, and eventually allowed to board the plane as the doors were being closed, is so suspenseful...Baiev's description of the nature of medical and surgical practices in the United States as compared with what he experienced back home is itself a reason to read the book...This is an important testimony that belongs in the annals of the history of medicine."
—Mark Field, Ph.D, New England Journal of Medicine

"Baiev's account of the first two years of the second Chechen conflict...makes for some of the most extraordinary passages about war ever written.—Thomas de Waal, TheMoscowTimes.com

"'The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire' is as much a memoir as it is a painful attempt to try to keep the memory of the human rights violations in Chechnya from being buried under shifts in geopolitical realities...The book provides a quick primer in the history of Russian-Chechen tensions dating back to the times of Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great."
—Sandip Roy, San Francisco Chronicle

"Baiev's narrative lends itself to multiple readings. We find here, set forth with an uncommon sense of immediacy, what it is like to grow up and live in Central Asia, in an Islamic community proud of its past and zealous of its traditions. Baiev renders folklore and ethnic identity with forceful brush strokes and vivid colors. He lovingly depicts Islamic religious ritual, including a personal pilgrimage to Mecca that most non-Islamic Westerners will find interesting. He portrays the full, agreeable existence of a proud people, thoroughly suffused by tight family allegiances and human warmth. Then he shows their lives shattered by war. And there emerges the image of a hardy race, inured to the pangs and weariness of protracted armed conflict (these, after all, are the same people who have been skirmishing with the Russians since the last century, as readers of Tolstoy's novels know well) and to the unremitting tension of a bloody struggle against oppression."
—F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The Washington Post

"Baiev's vivid, disturbing account unfolds in the mind's eye like a movie. His extraordinary empathy for both sides is inspiring. But his book is also dispiriting, not just because of war's inhumanity, but because the heroism he displayed is so hard to come by, and comes at such a cost. In his homeland, the Chechen war rumbles on with no end in sight."
—William Taubman, The Boston Globe

"Baiev's first-hand account provides a bracing reality check on the ongoing Chechen conflict and what it means to the people who live there."
—Eric Engleman, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

raeshad · Post time 13-12-2005 09:35 AM

"Occasionally a book speaks so directly to our times that it transcends the limitations of the written word. Such a book is The Oath, a memoir by Chechen doctor Khassan Baiev. A riveting testimony about the savagery of war and how ordinary people do and do not survive it, this book ought to be required reading for all government officials and the citizens who elect them . . .In spite of its tragic subject matter, The Oath also offers a glimmer of hope and leaves the reader with a sense of awe at the courage and selflessness of ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances."
—Pat MacEnulty, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“A truly moving, compelling, and dramatic account of raw courage and extraordinary human suffering, inflicted on the Chechen people by a ruthless invasion relentlessly pursued by the Kremlin and studiously ignored by the West.”
—Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor

"A real-life Hawkeye Pierce . . . [Khassan Baiev] has humanized the Chechens, whom others have portrayed as terrorists. Russian president Vladimir Putin has tried to equate Russia's fight against the Chechens with the U.S. battle against al-Qaida. Those who read this stirring memoir will be hard-pressed to see the situation so simply." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[The Oath] gives American readers an important perspective to consider as our government's quest for support in the war on terror constrains it from condemning atrocities committed by allies . . . As in The Pianist, one marvels at how a man can continually escape seemingly certain death and persevere under the most perverse conditions . .. Humanity behind the headlines--an eye-opener."—Booklist, starred review

"A compelling portrait of the Chechen people and the effects of war on innocent victims, demonstrating the depths to which human beings can sink and the heights to which they can rise.—Kirkus Reviews

—Vanessa Redgrave

“The Oath is not only the story of a courageous Chechen doctor, which in and of itself is fabulous reading; it is also the story of a bloody civil war in the heart of Russia, often ignored, but at our peril, in the context of the post-9/11 war against terrorism. This is must, informative reading.”
—Marvin Kalb, award-winning journalist for CBS and NBC News

“The Oath is a vivid, compelling act of witness. There have been independent Russian journalists willing to speak the truth about the Kremlin’s war in Chechnya. But now we have a courageous and authentic Chechen whose searing experiences as a doctor treating the wounded from both sides will leave the reader outraged and inspired.”
—Joshua Rubenstein, Northeast Regional Director, Amnesty International

“The Oath is an example of courage and compassion at the service of suffering humanity. It should serve as an inspiration for all those who want to bring a loving hand to the victims of our world's cruelties.”
—Dominique Lapierre, author of City of Joy, and co-author of Freedom at Midnight and Oh Jerusalem!

“This book is an extraordinary and deeply affecting personal story of a doctor’s commitment to serve both his people and the values of medicine in the face of harrowing circumstances -- where military forces showed not the slightest respect for civilians and where Dr. Baiev had to provide medical care under conditions that resemble those of the American Civil War. But its significance is deeply political as well, raising the uncomfortable question how those in Europe and the United States can ignore the carnage, the suffering and the lies that allow this brutal campaign to continue. I wish all our leaders would read this book.”
—Leonard S. Rubenstein, Executive Director, Physicians for Human Rights

“Powerful, deeply moving, and revealing, not only of the Chechnya war’s depth of corruption and brutality, but the still remaining deep humanity of Dr. Baiev and his medical team. A stirring and provocative read.”
—Jerrold L. Schecter, author of Sacred Secrets: How Soviet Intelligence Operations Changed American History

Greenbottle3 · Post time 14-12-2005 12:39 AM

reshead;

sounds like an interesting book....where can i buy it??

anyway...it's not fair saying that i'm just happily typing something (which i assume you mean 'something irresponsible' ) while people like this surgeon is saving lives and all that....

first of all...we should have idealism... and i do think that in my own way i have my own idea of what is to be admired....

i'm like most of us is fortunate enough not to be in the dire situation such as those in iraq afghanistan chechnya etc... but i'm trying to understand all this mess and the reaction against this....and that's how i come to admire these 'fighters for islam'......

raeshad · Post time 14-12-2005 01:26 AM

he he...sorry..my bad....yeaps...sure...i know what u mean...sorry too...for misunderstanding...

me too....that's how i admire how he - as a surgeon(a plastic surgeon at that too..), can become responsible, and be as humane as he can....his motto - To serve man under the Hippocratic Oath, oaths that doctors gonna take on their graduation day....among which the number one, major point is

"I WILL NOT PERMIT considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient;"

more on the traditional version, u can go here - Hippocratic Oath

raeshad · Post time 14-12-2005 01:32 AM

just as an info - the Modern version of the Hippocratic Oath, as produced by :

The Declaration of Geneva reads "AT THE TIME OF BEING ADMITTED AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION:

* I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;
* I WILL GIVE to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due;
* I WILL PRACTICE my profession with conscience and dignity;
* THE HEALTH OF MY PATIENT will be my first consideration;
* I WILL RESPECT the secrets which are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
* I WILL MAINTAIN by all the means in my power, the honor and the noble traditions of the medical profession;
* MY COLLEAGUES will be my sisters and brothers;
* I WILL NOT PERMIT considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient;
* I WILL MAINTAIN the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity;
* I MAKE THESE PROMISES solemnly, freely and upon my honor."

yeaps...IT IS a very interesting book...i'm assuming you can buy it at any book shops in msia....i'm not rili sure whtr they're sold or not, but it's impossible not to have it sold there...i bought it here...in dublin....hopefully u'll like it...

moncherie · Post time 23-12-2005 01:09 AM

dear raeshad...
maybe this review could help.

Let me begin by saying that if everything in this book is true Dr. Baiev has my total respect and admiration. It's inspiring to realize that people of his caliber do exist.

There are, however, one or two disquieting features of this book that I feel compelled to mention. After having read the initial reviews I had expected not only a compelling story of human strength amidst tragedy, but a book of high literary accomplishment. That has not come to pass. Whatever Dr. Baiev's own writing style, it has been submerged in the journalistic style of Nicholas and Ruth Daniloff. Nick Daniloff is he of the famous Soviet espionage sting of the 1980's when he was arrested in Moscow in an apparent KGB set-up. Ronald Reagan himself is reported to have been involved in getting Daniloff released. I just wish Dr. Baiev had been able to choose a more literary writer to assist him in developing this book.

Another point I'm almost embarrassed to make is that Dr. Baiev comes across in this book as almost too good to be true. Not only is he an heroic doctor, brave humanitarian, and loyal son, brother, and friend, he is also described a medical entrepreneur, a doctor who not only moonlights as a cosmetic surgereon, but who is also a national martial arts champion! If this book is made into a film I can only imagine Harrison Ford playing the part of Dr. Baiev. It almost seems as if some of Dr. Baiev's financial and sports successes were included in the book just to appeal to the certain segment of the community that might find those aspects of his life as compelling as the humanitarian work of saving lives and limbs amidst war and destruction.

Nevertheless, the book is full of unique tid-bits. While many people reading it will be aware of Russia's halting attempts to convert its military forces from a large army of draftees to a smaller one of professional soldiers this is the first time I'd seen such a negative depiction of these new contract soldiers. I don't think I'd have gotten this insight anywhere but in this book. Likewise, it was also very interesting to read that in addition to the fight between the Russian military and the Chechen rebels there is a criminal, opportunistic element also actively engaged in exploiting the tragedy of Chechnya and which appears to be much more influential than I would have imagined. I think that this insight is very valuable, not only in the context of the Chechenya, but in understanding the influence of criminal opportunists in other conflicts. For me this insight itself was worth the price of the book.

I certainly recommend The Oath, worts and all
-Pen Name

raeshad · Post time 23-12-2005 07:02 AM

true moncherie, i do think that Dr Baiev was mentioned as too good to be true....i dont know whether all of it are true or not, but i'd have to say that even if there are hints of false facts, there must be some truth in it somehow, and it's merely exaggarated by Nicholas Daniloff..

and never would i know that Daniloff was like that....

raeshad · Post time 23-12-2005 07:32 AM

just sent the review, hopefully my editor's gonna like it....

moncherie · Post time 24-12-2005 12:12 AM

hopefully...

raeshad · Post time 24-12-2005 09:46 AM

sure hope so, coz i rili dont wanna spend my christmas holiday working on some projects..

seribulan · Post time 25-12-2005 12:16 AM

bought a book on how to review a book...kat Payless Sales ari tu...but
haven't yet read it...cam best jerr...ni ajar nak rebiu buku sejarah ke...
literature ke...pilosopikal ke...
will see how the wind blows...me ni suka ikut mood...tu yg susah tu...