William Finnegan Knihy

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY 2016 WINNER OF THE 2016 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life. William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world's most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water. Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, a social history, an extraordinary exploration of one man's gradual mastering of an exacting and little-understood art. It is a memoir of dangerous obsession and enchantment.

Surfing transcends mere sport; for enthusiasts, it embodies a beautiful addiction and a way of life. Raised in California and Hawaii, Finnegan began surfing as a child and spent years chasing waves across the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, and Africa. A bookish boy turned adventurous young man, he later became a writer and war reporter. His narrative delves into unfamiliar worlds, including the coasts of New York and San Francisco, and captures the edgy camaraderie of male friendships forged in challenging surf. Finnegan recounts experiences in a whites-only gang at a tough Honolulu school, while maintaining a close friendship with a native Hawaiian surfer. He reflects on the social upheavals of the 1960s that affected both kids and adults. His tales include the intricacies of famous waves and his personal journey to master them, blending youthful folly—like dropping LSD while surfing Honolua Bay—with rueful humor. Alongside a friend, he explores Polynesia, discovering one of the world's greatest waves while camping on a deserted island in Fiji. His travels take him deeper into the role of an unlikely anthropologist, examining the dynamics of a Samoan fishing village, the sexual politics in Tonga, and navigating Indonesia's black market while battling malaria. Throughout, he continues to surf.

Surfing transcends mere sport; for enthusiasts, it embodies a beautiful addiction, a demanding pursuit, and a way of life. Finnegan, raised in California and Hawaii, began surfing as a child and has since chased waves worldwide, from the South Pacific to Africa. His journey unfolds through the lens of a writer and war reporter, revealing the edgy camaraderie of male friendships forged in challenging surf. He recounts experiences in a whites-only gang at a tough Honolulu school, alongside his close friendship with a native Hawaiian surfer. The narrative captures the upheaval of the 1960s, detailing the intricacies of famous waves and his own learning experiences. Youthful folly is humorously depicted, including a memorable LSD trip while surfing Honolua Bay. Alongside a friend, they navigate Polynesia with reef charts in tow, discovering one of the world's greatest waves on an uninhabited Fijian island. As his travels expand, Finnegan becomes an unlikely anthropologist, exploring the complexities of a Samoan fishing village, the sexual dynamics of Tongan interactions with foreigners, and the Indonesian black market, all while battling malaria. His adventures are punctuated by the thrill of surfing, highlighting the sport's profound impact on his life.

In this groundbreaking work of social journalism, a spotlight is cast on a population we find it easy, or convenient, to overlook. "While the national economy has been growing, the economic prospects of most Americans have been dimming," William Finnegan writes. "A new American class structure is being born--one that is harsher, in many ways, than the one it is replacing. Some people are thriving in it, of course. This book is about some families who are not. More particularly, it's about their children who are teenagers and young adults, about their lives and times, how they speak and act as they try to find their way in this cold new world. Finnegan spent time with families in four communities across America and became an intimate observer of the lives revealed in these beautifully rendered portraits: A fifteen-year-old drug dealer in blighted New Haven, Connecticut. A sleepy Texas town transformed when crack arrives. Mexican American teenagers in Washington State, unable to relate to their immigrant parents and trying to find an identity in gangs. Jobless young white supremacists in a downwardly mobile L.A. suburb. This is a book about race, class, and social change that never loses sight of its subjects' humanity. The kids in these pages are complex, multifaceted individuals, alternately sympathetic and frustrating, as richly drawn and compelling as characters in a novel. At the same time, Finnegan's journalism goes beyond reportage as he lays bare the economic trends and political decisions that have created this harsher America-- a country where inequality and cultural alienation grow at a dangerous pace. Important, powerful, and compassionate, Cold New World gives us an unforgettable look into a present that presages our future.

NAJLEPSZA KSIĄŻKA O SURFINGU, JAKA KIEDYKOLWIEK ZOSTAŁA NAPISANA Surfing to sport, lecz tylko dla tych, którzy przyglądają mu się z boku. Dla wtajemniczonych jest czymś znacznie więcej: pięknym nałogiem, wymagającym nauczycielem, niebezpiecznym zajęciem, sposobem na życie. Dni barbarzyńców to oldskulowa historia przygodowa, intelektualna autobiografia, literackie kino drogi, a także niezwykła eksploracja stopniowego doskonalenia wymagającej, mało rozumianej sztuki, jaką jest surfing. W pogoni za falą łatwo jest rzucić wszystko Ale czy jesteś na to gotowy? William Finnegan (ur. 1957) amerykański pisarz i korespondent wojenny, wieloletni publicysta New Yorkera. Laureat licznych nagród dziennikarskich za teksty o konfliktach w różnych rejonach świata. W nagrodzonych Pulitzerem Dniach barbarzyńców składa hołd swojej największej pasji, jaką jest surfing, oraz zdaje intymną relację z życia, którego rytm podyktowały fale. Zapierająca dech w piersiach. The New York Times Dzieło sztuki. Geoff Dyer, The Observer Olśniewająca. Los Angeles Times Wymieniona na liście wakacyjnych lektur Baracka Obamy. Zdobywca Nagrody Pulitzera w kategorii Autobiografia. Powyższy opis pochodzi od wydawcy