June 2007

Hot Off the Press: Three New Faculty Books in Time for Summer

By Rachel Muir

The real location of the Garden of Eden, the true story behind Noah’s ark, and the fate of the 10 lost tribes of Israel are among the mysteries explored in a new book by GW Associate Professor of Classics Eric Cline.

In From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible, Cline examines seven Biblical stories that have been the source of speculation for centuries, including Moses and the Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant, and Sodom and Gomorrah. “These are episodes I’m constantly asked about,” says Cline, a 20-year veteran of excavations at ancient sites throughout the world, including Israel’s Megiddo, the reputed location of Armageddon.

“I wanted to put the facts and possible interpretations out there and let readers decide for themselves,” says Cline, who draws on ancient texts, archaeological finds, and the Bible itself to present and scrutinize evidence in each case.

The book is a companion to the popular National Geographic TV series Science of the Bible, for which Cline serves as a consultant, but he had another motivation in writing it: debunking some of the fiction presented as fact in the popular press. “So many books on the Bible read by the general public are written by enthusiasts, not scholars, and are full of inaccuracies. I think, as archaeologists, we have a professional responsibility to bring the proper facts to a wider audience.”

Published by National Geographic, From Eden to Exile hits the bookstands June 19.
In Security First: For a Muscular, Moral Foreign Policy, University Professor Amitai Etzioni makes the case for an overhaul of the nation’s approach to foreign policy with an overarching emphasis on national security. In fact, he argues in the newly released book, security should be the top priority in all foreign policy considerations—even ahead of fostering democracy.

“Rarely have more profound changes in American foreign policy been called for than today,” says Etzioni, who also serves as director of the Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies and is a former senior adviser to the White House. “Regardless of political affiliation or what happens with the next presidential election, it’s clear that what we’re doing isn’t working.”

The book addresses the thorny issues of American policies toward recently liberated countries and rogue regimes, when the United States should undertake humanitarian interventions abroad, and how the nation should seek to protect itself from nuclear terrorism. Etzioni also discusses how to foster positive relations with Muslim-majority nations, urging Western leaders to forge ties with “illiberal moderates,” a phrase he coined to describe those who reject violence but don’t necessarily support democracy.

A prolific author with 25 books to his name, Etzioni calls Security First the most important work he has done in 20 years. Shuja Nawaz, former division chief at the International Monetary Fund and former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, echoes that sentiment, calling Security First “a must-read book for the rising leadership in the United States…and for America’s friends around the world.”

Security First: For a Muscular, Moral Foreign Policy was published earlier this month by Yale University Press.

Professor of English Gayle Wald charts the life and legacy of musician Rosetta Tharpe in Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A gospel superstar in her day, Tharpe is all but forgotten now—a fact that intrigued Wald when nearly a decade ago she happened upon a video clip of Tharpe performing.

“I was blown away,” says Wald. “Here was a middle-aged African American churchwoman singing and playing a guitar with confidence and abandon. I made a pledge to myself to find out more about her.” But it wasn’t easy. Few people remembered Tharpe, whose heyday was in the 1940s.

“Her obscurity—even to people who are relatively knowledgeable about popular music— piqued my interest,” says Wald. “Eventually, I came to realize that she had an incredible story.” Wald was particularly intrigued by Tharpe’s willingness to flout convention and to leap across musical genres, “daring” to play gospel and secular music at the same time.

While Tharpe isn’t a household name anymore, her influence is still widely felt, according to Wald. “Scores of contemporary musicians—from Isaac Hayes to Bonnie Raitt—claim her as an influence and an inspiration,” she says. “Her example as a woman guitarist may be unparalleled.”

Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe was published by Beacon Press earlier this year.

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