One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacres in Norway - Softcover

Seierstad, Asne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844089207 ISBN 13: 9781844089208

Publisher: Virago, 2015

Synopsis

On 22 July 2011 Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 of his fellow Norwegians in a terrorist atrocity that shocked the world. Many were teenagers, just beginning their adult lives. In the devastating aftermath, the inevitable questions began. How could this happen? Why did it happen? And who was Anders Breivik?

Åsne Seierstad was uniquely placed to explore these questions. An award-winning foreign correspondent, she had spent years writing about people caught up in violent conflict. Now, for the first time, she was being asked to write about her home country.

Based on extensive testimonies and interviews, One of Us is the definitive account of the massacres and the subsequent trial.

But more than that, it is the compelling story of Anders Breivik and a select group of his victims. A picture emerges of a killer - isolated, awkward, with a strange and troubled childhood. And on the other side, we come to know fascinating, dazzling young people such as Simon Sæbø and Bano Rashid, eager to contribute to their society. As we follow the path to their inevitable collision, it becomes clear just what was lost in that one day.

A gripping, shattering and vital book, One of Us is the story of a massacre and a study of evil. But it is also a story about community versus isolation, hope versus rejection, love versus bigotry - and a powerful memorial to those who lost their lives.

About this title

Review:

Honestly and intelligently written . . . offers lessons to those who choose to heed it on the folly of trying to make simple diagnoses or to apply simple remedies in Afghanistan (for The Bookseller of Kabul, Isabel Hilton Daily Telegraph)

A colourful portrait of people struggling to survive in the most brutal circumstances . . . bears witness to the power of literature to withstand even the most repressive regime (for The Bookseller of Kabul, Michael Arditti Daily Mail)

A compelling picture of a country which tragically continues to tear itself apart (for The Bookseller of Kabul Sunday Telegraph)

Book Description:

In the tradition of Truman Capote's classic In Cold Blood, a powerful and gripping depiction of a crime and its aftermath.

About this edition

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1844089207
• ISBN 13: 9781844089208
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 544