Oriana Fallaci (1929-2006) was a highly praised, and sometimes highly criticized, Italian journalist who famously interviewed the world’s movers and shakers, people who otherwise did not allow interviews. She obtained these interviews because of her reputation and strength of character. It was impossible to talk about Fallaci without being awed, as in this Christopher Hitchens obit that refers to our core book https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2006/12/hitchens200612 , and as in many of the articles about her.
The core book: In 1976 she published one of her many books, Interview with History. This core book has 14 interviews for our 14 week SDG.
You ask: Who are the interviewees in our core book? Some were famous, some were not so famous but they will interest you. Written during the time of the Vietnam War, she interviewed Kissinger and Vietnamese President Thieu of South Vietnam; she interviewed General Giap who commanded Vietnam forces against the Japanese, against the French and against the Americans. Apropos of the ongoing Middle East conflict she interviewed Golda Meir, Yasir Arafat and King Hussein. Fallaci interviewed the Indian and Pakistani governmental heads: Indira Gandhi and Ali Bhutto. The Bhutto interview had an effect on history as Hitchens wrote. She interviewed Willy Brandt and the Shah of Iran.
We will discuss these and the other Interviews with History, but for us 50 years later there is more history to parse than was available to Fallaci. In each session we will expand on Falacci’s interviews using links to online analyses. With today’s perspective, we will examine what the interviewees and Fallacci knew in the 70’s, and what we know now.
Come, join our SDG. You will be amazed at the interviews.
Week 1: Chapter 1, Henry Kissinger—we will mainly discuss the Vietnam War and the peace talks.
Week 2: Chapter 2, Nguyen Van Thieu. General Thieu led a coup in South Vietnam in 1965 and was President from 1967 until just before the fall of Saigon in 1975. The discussion will include his wife Madam Thieu.
Week 3: Chapter 3, General Giap. General Vo Nguyen Giap was a famed North Vietnam military commander, he led the battles against the Japanese, later against the French, and later against the Americans.
Week 4: Chapter 4, Golda Meir.
Week 5: Chapter 5, Yasir Arafat.
Week 6: Chapter 6, Hussein of Jordan. Hussein ruled in Jordan 1952-1999.
Week 7: Chapter 7, Indira Gandhi.
Week 8: Chapter 8, Ali Bhutto. The discussion will include his daughter Benazir Bhutto.
Week 9: Chapter 9, Willy Brandt.
Week 10: Chapter 10, Pietro Neunni. He was the renown Italian socialist politician from the time of WWI to 1969.
Week 11: Chapter 11, Mohammad Riza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran.
Week 12: Chapter 12, Helder Camara. A Brazilian Archbishop, he was an advocate of liberation theology.
Week 13: Chapter 13, Archbishop Makarios. He was a Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus (not the current Australian Archbishop of the same name). He was the first President of Cyprus and is considered the Father of the Nation.
Week 14: Chapter 14, Alexandros Panagoulis. He was a Greek poet and politician. Famous for the attempted 1968 assassination of Greek dictator Papadopoulous, he later was a member of the Greek Parliament.
Core Book: Oriana Fallaci, Interview with History, 1976, Houghton Mifflin Company. There are many copies of the book available on Amazon.