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Terrorism is a peculiar category of violence, because it has a cockeyed ratio of fear to harm.
As a firefighter, it is inspiring to read stories about normal men who worked heroically to serve their communities. A lot has changed in the daily world of a firefighter from their era (covering the 60's to 9/11) to the one I find myself in today but I count myself lucky to have heroes such as these men to aspire to.

This was excellent, I cannot recommend it highly enough... It's tense and shocking and super relevant!
An incredible book that explains the threat posed by political extremism especially from the far right on liberal democracies.
In the age of information, social media is fomenting and radicalizing lone wolf domestic terrorists easier than generations ago. This book eloquently lays out the threat from groups spawned by extremist ideologies and how nations can battle against them.

I knew, we knew, that what we were experiencing was anything but the grand historical event, the vain, colossal judicial spectacle that we all had good reason to fear at the beginning. No: this was something else: a unique experience of horror, pity, proximity and presence. It was only very late in the day that I realised that the white box resembles a modern church, and that something sacred had been taking place there.
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Image: BBC news site

Just wanted to take a moment to say our hearts go out to everyone in the L.A area tonight. Australia has seen more than its fair share of devastating fires so we understand exactly what you are all going through. Though we are currently in our fire season, we‘ve been fortunate to have a La Niña weather system which has brought much rain thank god. We hope the weather gods smile on you too soon. Be safe, evacuate. ❤️?❤️

My December pick. #NF #12booksof2024

December 2024 stats. 16 books
Standouts: V13 Chronicle if a Trial( NF) The Dying Day (F)
Some Holiday reads, 4 #readyourkindle
#serieslove2024 #OutWithTheOld

Rather than quote the entire book, I chose certain excerpts as a snapshot. Paired with You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris,( which I reviewed years ago here), this book is a vivid, heartfelt, disturbing, gut wrenching, & heartbreaking tale of the terrorists attack in 2015 in Paris. In light of the revolution dethroning Bashar al-Assad, this reporting of the trial, its victims & its perpetrators, is a relevant & necessary read.