To Dwell in Peace: An Autobiography

by Daniel Berrigan

Book Overview

This new edition of Daniel Berrigan's classic autobiography To Dwell in Peace, with a new afterword by the author, takes us through his childhood in Syracuse; his early years as a Jesuit, teacher,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062500570
• ISBN13: 9780062500571
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 1.68 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Worth reading, although flawed

I read this book for a college course, wanting to learn more about Daniel Berrigan, who I had heard of but did not know very much about. It was definitely worth reading. The great strength of the book is Berrigan's ability to clearly demonstrate his convictions as a societal and governmental critic, as a nonviolent activist who believes that killing is wrong, that war harms the poor disproportionately, and that nonviolent resistance is the work of God. Berrigan definitely knows what he believes and conveys it strongly. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was Berrigan's writing style. A poet, Berrigan begins each chapter with a poem and his special ability with language makes itself known even on the most mundane subjects. The main weakness of To Dwell in Peace is that Berrigan leaves out important information or reflection in some places and spends too much time on other, in my opinion, less important subjects. First of all, in this book Berrigan presumes a certain familiarity with his life and his previous books. If you haven't read his other books you might feel a little out of the loop. Perhaps then this is not the best book of introduction to the man's life. In terms of more in depth reflection, I wish that Berrigan gave more of an insight into what specifically went on in his mind that made him go from a fairly secluded, apathetic existence, to one of active, public opposition to war. Also, the last third of the book seems to lose its focus and is not as interesting. Although this autobiography has its flaws, it's definitely a compelling look into a prominent American pacifist.