Thursday, 6 October 2011

A Completely Unbiased View (for those who want to know about the future).

The Whore and her Mother:
9/11, Babylon and the Return of the King
A while ago I looked at Stacey Danson's Empty Chairs, and introduced it by saying that for me to review it was out of the box since this type of book is far removed from my usual reading. 

Now I'm going to do it again. This book is not one I would normally write about. My favourite books, as regular readers of this blog will know, are mostly light and entertaining.  So in writing about The Whore and Her Mother, I'm going out of my usual line. But I am serious in saying that this is one of the most important books published for some time. In a day when Harold Camping's forecasts are turning the subject of the last days into a laughing stalk, here is an intelligent examination of a subject of major interest to everyone, which makes no wild guesses, but works out its ideas logically and with a building excitement.

As my title suggests, I can't help being a bit prejudiced in this book's favour (it is written by my husband, after all). I begin by, as the politicians say, declaring an interest.  But I would genuinely like to encourage everyone out there to get hold of it and read it.  You'll be amazed.

Raymond McCullough, from County Down, has been writing successfully for years. He began around twenty years ago by having numerous paid articles published in computer magazines, while earning a living as a college lecturer; to having his thoughts on Ireland published by the Irish Times and the Presbyterian Herald; and to self publishing a book, 'Ireland – Now the Good News', excerpts from his magazine Bread.  

Bread, which he had been publishing for seven years by that time, went to nearly every possible type of denomination in Ireland, and all over the island (from Catholic to Free Presbyterian, from Cork to Coleraine, and Galway to Dublin) at the height of the troubles.  The mediating influence of this magazine certainly contributed more than can be quantified to the eventual ceasefires.

Celtic Roots Radio
Since those days, he has mainly concentrated on radio and podcasts (Celtic Roots Radio currently has over 14,000 downloads a month) but recent developments in the world around us, together with the serious urging of various friends, have now decided him to complete, and publish, the book he has been putting together for some time, with the striking title, 'The Whore and her Mother.'

This book takes a long hard look at the forecasts of the Hebrew prophets (respected by at least three of the major world religions) and it attempts, in the light of current events, to work out how accurate they have been up until now, how far we can therefore trust their future predictions, and how we should interpret their meaning.

At a time when the devastating events of recent years are forcing even the completely unreligious to describe  them as 'apocalyptic,' and those who have some belief to ask urgent questions, here is a book which makes a serious effort to come to terms with the question of what will happen next, and how close we might be to the end of this world as we know it.

Unlike others, Raymond McCullough makes no attempt to prophesy himself, but lucidly, straightforwardly, with academic precision, but also with page turning excitement, puts the pieces of the jigsaw into some sort of order, and gives us his best guess as to what we should now expect, while inviting us not to swallow his ideas, but to read up his references and judge for ourselves.

The list of books consulted is impressive. From Noam Chomsky to detailed examinations of the greed and globalisation on which Western economy is based, such as Falling off the Edge, from Michael Moore to the Hebrew prophets, this book looks at every angle and goes into it thoroughly, in depth, but in a way which continually grips, in working out its case.

The Whore and her Mother is a book which no one should miss. Buy it on Amazon Kindle for £2.99, or in paperback, at the links below.

E-book:

Paperback:

Read first 8 chapters FREE on Authonomy.com:
http://www.authonomy.com/books/13229/the-whore-and-her-mother/

A Wee Taste a' Craic
Recently, on a completely different track, Raymond has put together the 'craic' (what he often refers to as 'the waffly bits' – in other words the anecdotes) from his first twenty-five podcasts, into book form; and this book, A Wee Taste a' Craic, will be out shortly.  It's a short, light-hearted look at all things Irish, for Irish lovers worldwide – very different from The Whore and Her Mother!  The many fans of his podcasts and radio show will love it.  It can be pre-ordered here:
Celtic Roots Craic (blog):
at

1 comment:

  1. Gerry McCullough6 October 2011 at 17:44

    A few more reviews (five star, of course!) for this book would be very much appreciated. You can read the first eight chapters on Authonomy. Thanks, friends!
    If you want to comment, just a thought – have you signed in? Yes, of course you have, silly of me to ask!

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